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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. rest — what's left
  4. current — electric
  5. face — part of the head
  6. march — the month
  7. kick — in football
  8. saw — the tool
  9. march — the month
  10. face — to point toward
  11. mate — a friend
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. mate — a partner
  14. rest — what's left
  15. mate — to breed
  16. rest — a break
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. current — happening now
  19. cue — a signal
  20. saw — the tool
  21. cue — a hint
  22. march — music
  23. cue — for pool
  24. current — of water

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