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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. current — electric
  3. season — of the year
  4. current — of water
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. face — to confront
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. season — in sport
  11. current — happening now
  12. row — to paddle
  13. march — music
  14. bass — the fish
  15. march — the month
  16. face — part of the head
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. face — to point toward
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. row — a line
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. bass — low music
  24. march — the month

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