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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. cold — an illness
  3. can — to be able to
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. current — happening now
  6. face — to point toward
  7. fine — all right
  8. cold — not warm
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — the season
  11. spring — of water
  12. can — a tin
  13. suit — in cards
  14. can — a tin
  15. face — part of the head
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — to fit
  19. face — to confront
  20. current — electric
  21. current — of water
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — a penalty

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