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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. current — of water
  3. file — a document
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. ball — a dance
  8. press — newspapers
  9. spell — magic
  10. file — a line of people
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. file — a tool
  13. spell — a short time
  14. press — a publisher
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. current — happening now
  18. spell — letters
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. ball — a great time
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. fork — in a road
  24. current — electric

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