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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: current · degree · hide · club · press · lean

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. club — for golf
  3. club — for dancing
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. degree — from a university
  7. current — of water
  8. lean — thin
  9. current — happening now
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — to push
  12. club — a group
  13. current — electric
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. degree — temperature
  16. lean — to bend
  17. degree — an amount
  18. press — newspapers

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