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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. current — of water
  4. stock — goods
  5. object — a thing
  6. press — to push
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. current — electric
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — for money
  13. mine — for digging
  14. current — happening now
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bank — of a river
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. object — to protest
  20. stock — shares
  21. object — an aim
  22. press — a publisher
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. press — newspapers

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