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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. land — a country
  3. squash — to crush
  4. face — part of the head
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. face — to confront
  7. current — of water
  8. court — of law
  9. squash — the sport
  10. land — ground
  11. court — of a king
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. pass — a permit
  14. current — happening now
  15. land — to come down
  16. current — electric
  17. court — for sport
  18. snap — to click
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — boats

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