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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: rock · kid · fan · lean · saw · mouse · press · current

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. press — to push
  3. kid — child
  4. kid — to tease
  5. press — a publisher
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. saw — the tool
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — electric
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. press — newspapers
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. saw — the tool
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rock — music
  19. lean — thin
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. rock — a stone
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. current — of water
  24. lean — to bend

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