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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: row · swing · race · current · fan · kid · bound · press

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. row — a line
  3. kid — to tease
  4. press — newspapers
  5. swing — music
  6. bound — certain
  7. kid — child
  8. current — of water
  9. swing — to play on
  10. swing — in golf
  11. race — a contest
  12. current — happening now
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. press — to push
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bound — obliged
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. race — the arms race
  20. row — to paddle
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bound — tied together
  23. race — humankind
  24. row — a quarrel

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