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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. face — to point toward
  3. drill — the tool
  4. current — of water
  5. degree — from a university
  6. current — electric
  7. current — happening now
  8. rock — a stone
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. face — to confront
  13. drill — a practice
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. rock — music
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a dance
  18. ball — a great time
  19. wound — an injury
  20. drill — army training
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. wound — an injury
  23. degree — an amount
  24. degree — temperature

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