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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. current — electric
  3. face — to point toward
  4. face — part of the head
  5. current — happening now
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — for catching
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. board — a committee
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. current — of water
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bat — the animal
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. face — to confront
  19. board — to get on
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. net — in sport

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