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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. face — to confront
  9. current — of water
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. bat — the animal
  12. lie — to recline
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. face — to point toward
  16. current — happening now
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. current — electric
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. face — part of the head
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. wind — moving air

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