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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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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 · swing · bear · rush · snap · current · land · file

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. land — a country
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. press — newspapers
  5. bear — the animal
  6. file — a document
  7. snap — to click
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. current — happening now
  10. land — to come down
  11. swing — to play on
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. rush — hurry
  14. press — to push
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. current — of water
  17. land — ground
  18. bear — the animal
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. swing — in golf
  21. file — a line of people
  22. press — a publisher
  23. file — a tool
  24. current — electric

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