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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. drill — army training
  3. face — to point toward
  4. current — electric
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. drill — a practice
  9. wind — moving air
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. face — part of the head
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a friend
  16. face — to confront
  17. swing — in golf
  18. mate — a partner
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. swing — music
  21. drill — the tool
  22. current — happening now
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. swing — to play on

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