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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. current — electric
  3. charge — in control
  4. face — to point toward
  5. scale — size or range
  6. file — a document
  7. charge — a price
  8. face — part of the head
  9. wind — moving air
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. rock — a stone
  12. scale — in music
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. face — to confront
  16. file — a line of people
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. current — of water
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. charge — electricity
  22. wind — moving air
  23. file — a tool
  24. current — happening now

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