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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 116 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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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: rest · stand · current · press · cap · swing

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. current — electric
  3. press — newspapers
  4. rest — a break
  5. cap — a lid
  6. current — happening now
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. swing — to play on
  9. press — to push
  10. cap — a hat
  11. stand — to bear
  12. rest — what's left
  13. swing — music
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. cap — of ice
  16. press — a publisher
  17. rest — what's left
  18. current — of water

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