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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. face — part of the head
  3. current — of water
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. current — electric
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. mate — a partner
  8. sharp — clever
  9. object — a thing
  10. current — happening now
  11. mate — to breed
  12. object — an aim
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. tube — a container
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. face — to point toward
  21. mate — a friend
  22. face — to confront
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. tube — the underground

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