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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. wake — a trail
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. degree — an amount
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — part of the head
  7. court — of a king
  8. craft — boats
  9. court — of law
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. degree — from a university
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kick — in football
  17. face — to confront
  18. current — happening now
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. current — of water
  21. degree — temperature
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. craft — a skill
  24. court — for sport

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