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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 120 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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. face — to confront
  3. wound — an injury
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. swing — music
  6. charge — electricity
  7. chip — to eat
  8. swing — to play on
  9. face — to point toward
  10. chip — for betting
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. net — after costs
  13. current — of water
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. current — electric
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. face — part of the head
  19. swing — in golf
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — in control
  22. current — happening now
  23. net — in sport
  24. chip — in a computer

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