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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. face — to point toward
  3. saw — the tool
  4. current — electric
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. hand — in cards
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. saw — the tool
  10. current — of water
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. spell — magic
  14. hand — help
  15. current — happening now
  16. spell — a short time
  17. face — to confront
  18. suit — to fit
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. face — part of the head
  21. suit — clothes
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. suit — in cards

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