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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. present — the time now
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. face — part of the head
  7. current — happening now
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — clothes
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — ground
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. current — of water
  15. lie — to recline
  16. present — there
  17. present — a gift
  18. current — electric
  19. land — a country
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. kid — child
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — to point toward
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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