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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. pop — music
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bat — the animal
  5. current — electric
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — part of the head
  8. pound — a weight
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pop — soda
  13. current — of water
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. pop — to visit
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. stem — to come from
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pass — a permit
  22. current — happening now
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. face — to point toward

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