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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 116 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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — the month
  3. dip — to sink
  4. kick — in football
  5. current — happening now
  6. face — to point toward
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to confront
  14. charge — electricity
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. pitch — completely
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — a price
  20. march — music
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. current — of water
  24. current — electric

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