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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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. lean — to bend
  4. land — to come down
  5. current — happening now
  6. deal — to handle
  7. lean — thin
  8. bat — the animal
  9. face — part of the head
  10. land — ground
  11. current — of water
  12. land — a country
  13. bound — obliged
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bound — certain
  20. face — to point toward
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bat — in an idiom

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