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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. bound — tied together
  3. present — there
  4. present — the time now
  5. current — electric
  6. present — a gift
  7. plane — a tool
  8. face — to point toward
  9. land — ground
  10. land — a country
  11. current — happening now
  12. rash — a series
  13. firm — a company
  14. land — to come down
  15. face — part of the head
  16. firm — decided
  17. current — of water
  18. rash — hasty
  19. bound — certain
  20. firm — steady
  21. face — to confront
  22. bound — obliged
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. plane — in geometry

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