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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. face — to point toward
  3. lie — to recline
  4. swing — in golf
  5. current — electric
  6. bear — the animal
  7. current — happening now
  8. cell — a phone
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. swing — to play on
  13. face — to confront
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. current — of water
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bear — the animal
  20. face — part of the head
  21. swing — music
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. lie — an untruth

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