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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. current — of water
  3. face — part of the head
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. current — electric
  8. file — a document
  9. file — a line of people
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. face — to confront
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. rash — a series
  14. shower — to wash
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. file — a tool
  18. rush — hurry
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. shower — rain
  21. rash — hasty
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. current — happening now

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