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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. current — electric
  3. face — part of the head
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. ground — a position
  6. bear — the animal
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. staff — employees
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. prune — to trim
  11. staff — a stick
  12. current — of water
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. ground — the earth
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bear — the animal
  18. current — happening now
  19. face — to point toward
  20. fall — to drop
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. ground — crushed
  23. staff — employees
  24. fall — the season

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