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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: race · straw · scale · rush · nail · date · press · current

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. press — a publisher
  3. current — happening now
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. press — newspapers
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. current — electric
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. race — humankind
  13. race — the arms race
  14. scale — in music
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. date — the fruit
  18. race — a contest
  19. press — to push
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. scale — size or range

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