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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. land — to come down
  4. current — of water
  5. object — an aim
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. land — ground
  8. saw — the tool
  9. face — to point toward
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. object — to protest
  12. face — to confront
  13. land — a country
  14. object — a thing
  15. current — electric
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. branch — a division
  19. saw — the tool
  20. face — part of the head
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. hide — to keep secret

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