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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. face — to confront
  3. current — electric
  4. track — a song
  5. land — to come down
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. net — for catching
  8. net — after costs
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bank — for money
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. land — a country
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. land — ground
  16. bank — for money
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. track — to keep track
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. net — in sport
  21. current — happening now
  22. current — of water
  23. bank — of a river
  24. track — a path

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