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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. face — to point toward
  4. scale — size or range
  5. rock — music
  6. face — to confront
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. scale — in music
  10. current — electric
  11. current — happening now
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. cell — in biology
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. current — of water
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — a stone
  23. face — part of the head
  24. cell — a phone

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