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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. wake — a trail
  3. saw — the tool
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. face — part of the head
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. current — happening now
  9. present — the time now
  10. spell — magic
  11. face — to confront
  12. face — to point toward
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. present — a gift
  15. spell — letters
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. saw — the tool
  20. vault — a safe
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. current — electric
  23. current — of water
  24. present — there

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