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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. rock — a stone
  3. face — to point toward
  4. bass — the fish
  5. net — after costs
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. current — electric
  8. bass — low music
  9. rock — music
  10. net — in sport
  11. ball — a great time
  12. net — for catching
  13. face — part of the head
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. current — happening now
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. current — of water
  21. ball — a dance
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. fine — all right

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