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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. current — electric
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. scale — in music
  5. face — to confront
  6. current — of water
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. saw — the tool
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. face — part of the head
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. saw — the tool
  16. lie — to recline
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. current — happening now
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. scale — size or range
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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