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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. rest — what's left
  3. tube — a container
  4. rest — what's left
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — part of the head
  7. track — to keep track
  8. net — in sport
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. rest — a break
  12. current — of water
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. fine — all right
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. net — after costs
  17. fine — high quality
  18. tube — the underground
  19. current — electric
  20. net — for catching
  21. track — a song
  22. current — happening now
  23. face — to confront
  24. leaves — of a tree

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