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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. clip — for paper
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to confront
  5. current — happening now
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. current — electric
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. clip — to cut
  13. clip — a video
  14. rash — a series
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — a signal
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. current — of water
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. rash — hasty
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. face — to point toward
  24. cue — for pool

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