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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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Word bank
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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. ball — a dance
  4. face — to confront
  5. current — electric
  6. ball — a great time
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. face — to point toward
  10. current — of water
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. present — a gift
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. present — the time now
  17. current — happening now
  18. wound — an injury
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bear — the animal
  21. can — a tin
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wound — an injury

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