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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. chest — of your body
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. swing — music
  5. press — a publisher
  6. rock — music
  7. swing — in golf
  8. current — electric
  9. object — to protest
  10. bound — tied together
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — a box
  13. swing — to play on
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. bound — obliged
  16. current — of water
  17. object — a thing
  18. vault — a safe
  19. bound — certain
  20. current — happening now
  21. rock — a stone
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. press — newspapers
  24. press — to push

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