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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. face — part of the head
  3. current — of water
  4. rest — a break
  5. cell — in biology
  6. present — the time now
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rest — what's left
  9. present — there
  10. cell — a phone
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. current — happening now
  16. face — to confront
  17. current — electric
  18. present — a gift
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — magic
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. rash — a series
  23. face — to point toward
  24. spell — a short time

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