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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. present — the time now
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. band — a ring
  8. land — ground
  9. current — of water
  10. current — electric
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. face — to point toward
  13. land — a country
  14. prune — to trim
  15. present — there
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. face — to confront
  19. band — a music group
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pass — a permit
  22. current — happening now
  23. land — to come down
  24. present — a gift

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