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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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. mate — to breed
  3. rock — a stone
  4. face — to point toward
  5. current — of water
  6. club — for golf
  7. face — to confront
  8. rock — music
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. mate — a friend
  13. club — for dancing
  14. clip — to cut
  15. face — part of the head
  16. current — electric
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. mate — a partner
  20. clip — for paper
  21. clip — a video
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. current — happening now
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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