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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. current — electric
  3. face — part of the head
  4. net — for catching
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. face — to confront
  7. lie — to recline
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. face — to point toward
  10. net — after costs
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. game — wild animals
  14. pound — a weight
  15. current — of water
  16. wind — moving air
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. game — a match
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wind — moving air
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. net — in sport
  24. current — happening now

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