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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 · face · clip · stand · firm · bear · racket · current

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. firm — steady
  3. face — to point toward
  4. bear — the animal
  5. current — of water
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. stand — to bear
  8. firm — decided
  9. face — part of the head
  10. press — to push
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. press — newspapers
  14. clip — for paper
  15. clip — a video
  16. current — happening now
  17. bear — the animal
  18. press — a publisher
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. clip — to cut
  21. face — to confront
  22. firm — a company
  23. stand — for spectators
  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