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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. current — of water
  3. land — to come down
  4. press — a publisher
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. press — to push
  9. press — newspapers
  10. land — ground
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. tear — to rip
  13. scale — size or range
  14. wake — a trail
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. current — happening now
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — from crying
  19. scale — in music
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. land — a country
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. current — electric

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com