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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. current — electric
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. object — a thing
  6. pass — a permit
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. object — an aim
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. hand — help
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. rule — government
  15. face — part of the head
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. hand — in cards
  19. current — happening now
  20. object — to protest
  21. current — of water
  22. stand — to bear
  23. face — to confront
  24. rule — a law

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