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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. present — a gift
  3. mate — a friend
  4. current — electric
  5. current — of water
  6. face — part of the head
  7. cap — a hat
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mate — a partner
  10. face — to point toward
  11. present — the time now
  12. suit — in cards
  13. cap — a lid
  14. suit — clothes
  15. row — to paddle
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. present — there
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. suit — to fit
  20. cap — of ice
  21. row — a line
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. current — happening now
  24. temple — a place of worship

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