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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 116 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: racket · current · pound · fan · saw · lie · press · rest

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. current — of water
  4. lie — to recline
  5. rest — what's left
  6. current — happening now
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. saw — the tool
  11. press — to push
  12. pound — a weight
  13. press — a publisher
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. saw — the tool
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. current — electric
  22. press — newspapers
  23. rest — what's left
  24. fan — to cool the air

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