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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. face — to point toward
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. land — ground
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pass — a permit
  7. face — to confront
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bass — the fish
  10. present — there
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. land — a country
  14. cell — in biology
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. bass — low music
  18. present — the time now
  19. face — part of the head
  20. present — a gift
  21. cell — a phone
  22. current — electric
  23. current — of water
  24. land — to come down

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