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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 120 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: press · rock · foot · tube · wake · current · lean · spring

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. press — to push
  3. spring — of water
  4. rock — a stone
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. press — newspapers
  8. wake — a trail
  9. current — happening now
  10. foot — a measure
  11. lean — to bend
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. current — of water
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — the underground
  18. press — a publisher
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. spring — a coil
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. spring — the season
  23. lean — thin
  24. rock — music

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