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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. current — of water
  3. bark — to shout
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. cell — a phone
  6. current — happening now
  7. face — to point toward
  8. mate — a partner
  9. present — the time now
  10. stock — shares
  11. face — to confront
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. cell — in biology
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. stock — goods
  19. present — a gift
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. current — electric
  23. mate — a friend
  24. present — there

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