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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. face — to confront
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. current — electric
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. toast — bread
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. current — happening now
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. face — to point toward
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. chest — a box
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. chest — of your body
  20. rule — government
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. face — part of the head
  23. chest — of your body
  24. rule — a law

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