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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.

Make a worksheet

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: track · last · charge · key · press · staff · spring · current

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. track — to keep track
  3. spring — of water
  4. press — a publisher
  5. press — to push
  6. charge — electricity
  7. spring — the season
  8. key — in music
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — finally
  11. current — of water
  12. spring — a coil
  13. staff — employees
  14. press — newspapers
  15. track — a song
  16. key — for a lock
  17. track — a path
  18. charge — a price
  19. key — the most important part
  20. staff — a stick
  21. current — happening now
  22. last — final
  23. staff — employees
  24. charge — in control

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