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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. current — electric
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. mug — a face
  6. file — a tool
  7. current — happening now
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. file — a document
  10. mug — to rob
  11. face — to point toward
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. mug — a cup
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. file — a line of people
  18. current — of water
  19. squash — the sport
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. squash — to crush
  23. face — part of the head
  24. temple — a place of worship

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