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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. rush — hurry
  3. press — newspapers
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. mark — a trace
  6. press — a publisher
  7. current — happening now
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. present — a gift
  10. mark — a grade
  11. current — electric
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. press — to push
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. current — of water
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. dip — to sink
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. present — there
  24. present — the time 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