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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. current — of water
  3. current — electric
  4. wind — moving air
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. bear — the animal
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to point toward
  10. pitch — completely
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. stand — to bear
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. current — happening now
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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