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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. bass — the fish
  3. current — happening now
  4. face — to point toward
  5. current — of water
  6. charge — in control
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. file — a line of people
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. file — a tool
  11. bass — low music
  12. charge — electricity
  13. face — to confront
  14. charge — a price
  15. file — a document
  16. race — humankind
  17. race — the arms race
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. kick — in football
  20. race — a contest
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. current — electric

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