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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — electric
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — goods
  8. press — to push
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. lie — to recline
  11. kick — in football
  12. press — newspapers
  13. current — of water
  14. club — for golf
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. club — for dancing
  17. bark — to shout
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. club — a group
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. nail — for a hammer

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