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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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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 · net · safe

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. club — a group
  3. degree — temperature
  4. press — to push
  5. lean — to bend
  6. degree — from a university
  7. press — newspapers
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. club — for dancing
  10. club — for golf
  11. press — a publisher
  12. net — for catching
  13. degree — an amount
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. net — in sport
  17. current — of water
  18. lean — thin
  19. current — electric
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. net — after costs

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