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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. face — to point toward
  3. file — a document
  4. squash — the sport
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stand — to bear
  9. face — part of the head
  10. current — electric
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. current — of water
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. face — to confront
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. current — happening now
  18. last — finally
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. file — a tool
  21. squash — to crush
  22. last — final
  23. file — a line of people
  24. pitcher — a jug

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