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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. kid — child
  3. firm — decided
  4. net — in sport
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to point toward
  7. mug — a cup
  8. firm — steady
  9. current — electric
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. firm — a company
  13. current — of water
  14. net — for catching
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bark — to shout
  18. kid — to tease
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. mug — a face
  21. rush — hurry
  22. mug — to rob
  23. current — happening now
  24. net — after costs

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