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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 124 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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. face — to confront
  4. current — electric
  5. spell — letters
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bass — the fish
  8. face — part of the head
  9. current — of water
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — the underground
  14. spell — a short time
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. object — an aim
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bass — low music
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. object — a thing
  21. object — to protest
  22. tube — a container
  23. current — happening now
  24. hide — animal skin

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