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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: rash · wave · press · court · current · fall · lie · toast

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. court — for sport
  3. press — to push
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. press — newspapers
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. current — electric
  9. fall — to drop
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. rash — hasty
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. current — of water
  14. press — a publisher
  15. current — happening now
  16. toast — bread
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — a series
  19. fall — to drop
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. court — of a king
  22. lie — to recline
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. fall — the season

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