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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. face — to point toward
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. pit — in a race
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. wind — moving air
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. pit — a hole
  12. face — to confront
  13. pitch — completely
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. current — electric
  17. face — part of the head
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. wind — moving air
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. current — of water

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