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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 116 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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. land — to come down
  3. face — to point toward
  4. current — of water
  5. current — happening now
  6. present — there
  7. land — a country
  8. tube — the underground
  9. present — a gift
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. tube — a container
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to confront
  14. land — ground
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. current — electric
  17. present — the time now
  18. tube — in a tire

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