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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's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bound — tied together
  3. face — to point toward
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. current — happening now
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — in a race
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. face — to confront
  11. fine — all right
  12. bound — certain
  13. tube — a container
  14. bound — obliged
  15. pit — a hole
  16. tube — the underground
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. current — of water
  20. current — electric
  21. fine — high quality
  22. face — part of the head
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. saw — the tool

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