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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. face — to confront
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. face — to point toward
  5. pop — music
  6. clip — for paper
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. current — electric
  10. pop — soda
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. current — of water
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pop — to visit
  16. clip — to cut
  17. current — happening now
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. chair — a leader
  22. face — part of the head
  23. clip — a video
  24. bowl — a dish

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