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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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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. face — to point toward
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — after costs
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. current — of water
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. charge — electricity
  11. current — electric
  12. charge — in control
  13. current — happening now
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. perch — the fish
  19. face — part of the head
  20. net — for catching
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. mine — for digging
  23. face — to confront
  24. mine — an explosive

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