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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. firm — decided
  3. face — part of the head
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. firm — steady
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. current — electric
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. game — a match
  10. capital — money
  11. game — wild animals
  12. face — to confront
  13. firm — a company
  14. cap — a lid
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — a publisher
  17. face — to point toward
  18. cap — a hat
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. capital — a city
  22. current — happening now
  23. current — of water
  24. press — to push

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