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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. face — to point toward
  3. current — electric
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. current — happening now
  9. face — part of the head
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. bore — to tire
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bore — to drill
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. branch — a division
  19. face — to confront
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. current — of water
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. squash — to crush

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