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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 116 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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pass — a permit
  5. spring — the season
  6. face — to point toward
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. face — part of the head
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. current — of water
  13. current — electric
  14. spring — a coil
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rock — music
  17. saw — the tool
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. rock — a stone
  20. face — to confront
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. spring — of water
  24. racket — for tennis

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