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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. press — to push
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. capital — money
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. press — a publisher
  8. foot — a measure
  9. lie — to recline
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chip — for betting
  15. current — electric
  16. press — newspapers
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. capital — a city
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. current — happening 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