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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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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 · last · race · tear · foot · press · present · bank

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. last — to go on
  4. current — of water
  5. last — final
  6. last — finally
  7. press — newspapers
  8. foot — a measure
  9. race — humankind
  10. present — there
  11. race — the arms race
  12. press — to push
  13. tear — to rip
  14. bank — of a river
  15. current — electric
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bank — for money
  18. present — a gift
  19. bank — for money
  20. race — a contest
  21. current — happening now
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. press — a publisher
  24. tear — from crying

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