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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 120 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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — happening now
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. face — to confront
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. face — to point toward
  8. mate — a partner
  9. can — a tin
  10. file — a tool
  11. current — of water
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. rash — a series
  14. file — a document
  15. wax — to grow
  16. file — a line of people
  17. mate — to breed
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. lie — to recline
  20. can — to be able to
  21. rash — hasty
  22. face — part of the head
  23. can — a tin
  24. mate — a friend

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