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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. current — electric
  8. face — to point toward
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. craft — a skill
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. face — part of the head
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. kick — in football
  18. face — to confront
  19. pitch — completely
  20. craft — boats
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. current — happening now
  24. craft — a handicraft

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