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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. toast — bread
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. current — of water
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. present — a gift
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. mug — a cup
  9. press — to push
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. current — electric
  12. mug — a face
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. present — there
  16. kid — to tease
  17. press — a publisher
  18. mug — to rob
  19. press — newspapers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. kid — child
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. plane — a tool
  24. present — the time now

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