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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. last — finally
  3. face — part of the head
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. current — happening now
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. current — of water
  8. pound — a weight
  9. face — to confront
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. current — electric
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. last — to go on
  16. rock — a stone
  17. face — to point toward
  18. lie — to recline
  19. last — final
  20. cell — a phone
  21. rock — music
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. cell — in a prison

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