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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 116 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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. kid — child
  4. kid — to tease
  5. rock — music
  6. current — electric
  7. rock — a stone
  8. staff — a stick
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. current — of water
  11. face — to point toward
  12. press — to push
  13. press — newspapers
  14. saw — the tool
  15. key — in music
  16. saw — the tool
  17. key — the most important part
  18. face — part of the head
  19. staff — employees
  20. face — to confront
  21. press — a publisher
  22. key — for a lock
  23. current — happening now
  24. staff — employees

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