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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. current — electric
  4. charge — electricity
  5. current — of water
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. clip — for paper
  9. face — to confront
  10. clip — to cut
  11. root — of a word
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pit — a hole
  14. root — of a plant
  15. clip — a video
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. current — happening now
  19. saw — the tool
  20. root — the cause
  21. charge — a price
  22. face — part of the head
  23. charge — in control
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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