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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 120 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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. chip — for betting
  3. pass — a permit
  4. face — to confront
  5. current — electric
  6. net — after costs
  7. current — of water
  8. net — in sport
  9. face — to point toward
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — music
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. stem — to come from
  16. chip — to eat
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. kick — in football
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. net — for catching
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. current — happening now
  24. stem — of a plant

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