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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. court — of law
  3. face — to point toward
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. current — happening now
  6. current — electric
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pass — a permit
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. face — part of the head
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. current — of water
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. face — to confront
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. present — the time now
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of a king
  20. plane — a tool
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. present — a gift
  24. calf — of the leg

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