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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. present — there
  3. face — part of the head
  4. saw — the tool
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — for catching
  9. current — happening now
  10. toast — bread
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — to confront
  13. current — electric
  14. current — of water
  15. net — in sport
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bound — tied together
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. bound — certain
  21. present — the time now
  22. present — a gift
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. toast — the most admired

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