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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 · trunk · current · season · mug · foot · sharp · jam

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. sharp — clever
  3. mug — to rob
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — in sport
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. current — happening now
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. current — electric
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. press — to push
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. mug — a face
  21. mug — a cup
  22. press — a publisher
  23. press — newspapers
  24. trunk — of an elephant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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