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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 120 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 · clip · bay · rash · squash · wake · current · bore

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. wake — a trail
  3. press — to push
  4. current — happening now
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. clip — to cut
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. squash — the sport
  9. current — electric
  10. press — a publisher
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. press — newspapers
  14. clip — for paper
  15. rash — a series
  16. current — of water
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bore — to drill
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. clip — a video
  24. squash — to crush

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