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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. track — a song
  3. face — to confront
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. current — happening now
  9. present — there
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. current — of water
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. track — to keep track
  15. present — a gift
  16. spell — letters
  17. face — part of the head
  18. spell — magic
  19. present — the time now
  20. current — electric
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. spell — a short time
  23. kick — in football
  24. track — a path

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