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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: ball · arm · last · press · can · drill · lie · current

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. current — happening now
  4. last — to go on
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. last — finally
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. current — electric
  9. ball — a dance
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. drill — the tool
  13. lie — to recline
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. can — a tin
  16. ball — a great time
  17. press — to push
  18. press — newspapers
  19. drill — army training
  20. drill — a practice
  21. can — to be able to
  22. press — a publisher
  23. last — final
  24. can — a tin

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