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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. current — electric
  5. press — to push
  6. fall — to drop
  7. press — newspapers
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. current — happening now
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. fall — to drop
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. plane — a tool
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. fall — the season
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. stand — to bear
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. current — of water
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. press — a publisher

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