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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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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: bowl · rush · current · spring · chest · press · fan · wound

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. chest — of your body
  3. spring — of water
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — a box
  8. current — electric
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. spring — a coil
  12. wound — an injury
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. press — to push
  15. current — happening now
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — a publisher
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. wound — an injury
  20. rush — hurry
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. spring — the season
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — to roll

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