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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. current — of water
  5. fall — the season
  6. current — electric
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fall — to drop
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. face — to confront
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. fork — in a road
  17. stand — to bear
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. face — part of the head
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. current — happening now
  24. saw — the tool

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