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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. press — to push
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — moving air
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. rest — a break
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rest — what's left
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. kick — in football
  13. press — newspapers
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. current — of water
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. rest — what's left
  23. current — electric
  24. current — happening now

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