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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. press — newspapers
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. current — happening now
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. shower — rain
  8. court — for sport
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. press — to push
  12. press — a publisher
  13. drill — the tool
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. drill — a practice
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. current — of water
  20. court — of a king
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. court — of law
  23. current — electric
  24. shower — to wash

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