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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 124 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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. current — electric
  3. swing — to play on
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. object — a thing
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. swing — music
  8. object — to protest
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. object — an aim
  13. kick — in football
  14. press — newspapers
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. current — of water
  17. press — to push
  18. toast — bread
  19. current — happening now
  20. rash — a series
  21. swing — in golf
  22. sharp — clever
  23. press — a publisher
  24. rash — on the skin

Multiple-meaning words list

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

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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