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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rush · mouse · stand · press · land · clip · current · face

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. clip — to cut
  4. stand — to bear
  5. face — part of the head
  6. press — to push
  7. press — newspapers
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. land — ground
  10. current — electric
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rush — hurry
  13. face — to confront
  14. land — a country
  15. press — a publisher
  16. land — to come down
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. face — to point toward
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. current — happening now
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. current — of water
  24. clip — a video

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