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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. present — a gift
  4. file — a tool
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — help
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. current — electric
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to confront
  13. present — the time now
  14. file — a line of people
  15. current — happening now
  16. lie — to recline
  17. hand — in cards
  18. file — a document
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. face — to point toward
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. current — of water
  24. lie — an untruth

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