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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. current — electric
  4. press — to push
  5. press — a publisher
  6. net — in sport
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. current — happening now
  12. rest — a break
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. current — of water
  15. rest — what's left
  16. fork — in a road
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. net — after costs
  19. rest — what's left
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. press — newspapers
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. net — for catching

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