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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. net — for catching
  3. scale — in music
  4. current — electric
  5. kick — in football
  6. face — part of the head
  7. current — of water
  8. face — to point toward
  9. face — to confront
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. scale — size or range
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. net — in sport
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. wound — an injury
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. wound — an injury
  20. net — after costs
  21. current — happening now
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ruler — for measuring

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