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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. current — electric
  4. mate — a friend
  5. face — to point toward
  6. mate — a partner
  7. spring — the season
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mate — to breed
  10. spring — of water
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. current — happening now
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. face — to confront
  17. current — of water
  18. face — part of the head

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