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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — help
  5. current — of water
  6. firm — steady
  7. current — electric
  8. mug — a cup
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. net — for catching
  11. hand — in cards
  12. firm — decided
  13. net — after costs
  14. mug — a face
  15. net — in sport
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. firm — a company
  18. face — part of the head
  19. face — to point toward
  20. current — happening now
  21. mug — to rob
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. scale — in music
  24. scale — size or range

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