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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. current — happening now
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — to point toward
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. roll — a list
  8. current — electric
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. hand — help
  11. face — part of the head
  12. snap — to click
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. fork — in a road
  16. hand — in cards
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bark — to shout
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. current — of water
  24. roll — a cake

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