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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. face — to point toward
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. charge — a price
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. charge — electricity
  7. file — a document
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. clip — to cut
  10. clip — a video
  11. charge — in control
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. current — of water
  14. face — part of the head
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. file — a line of people
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. current — happening now
  20. stem — to come from
  21. face — to confront
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. file — a tool
  24. clip — for paper

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