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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 120 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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. current — of water
  3. spring — a coil
  4. face — to point toward
  5. face — part of the head
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mate — to breed
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — a trail
  10. swing — to play on
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. spring — of water
  14. current — happening now
  15. swing — music
  16. swing — in golf
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. stand — to bear
  20. current — electric
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. spring — the season
  23. mate — a friend
  24. face — to confront

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