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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. press — to push
  4. press — newspapers
  5. pass — a permit
  6. current — electric
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. current — of water
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. wake — a trail
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. vault — a safe
  14. chair — a leader
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. current — happening now
  20. press — a publisher
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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