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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — a trail
  3. current — happening now
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. fall — to drop
  6. press — newspapers
  7. press — to push
  8. fall — the season
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. can — a tin
  12. current — of water
  13. land — a country
  14. land — to come down
  15. press — a publisher
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — the fruit
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. current — electric
  23. fall — to drop
  24. land — ground

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