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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. rule — a law
  3. last — to go on
  4. spring — of water
  5. last — finally
  6. rush — hurry
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. face — to confront
  9. spring — the season
  10. current — electric
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — a committee
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rule — government
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. face — to point toward
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. current — of water
  20. last — final
  21. board — to get on
  22. spring — a coil
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. face — part of the head

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