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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. roll — a cake
  3. current — electric
  4. rule — government
  5. tear — to rip
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. face — to confront
  8. rock — a stone
  9. toast — bread
  10. rock — music
  11. tear — from crying
  12. deal — to handle
  13. current — of water
  14. face — to point toward
  15. tear — from crying
  16. face — part of the head
  17. current — happening now
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. roll — a list
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rule — a law
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. toast — the most admired

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