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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. fall — the season
  3. face — to point toward
  4. current — happening now
  5. fall — to drop
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. chip — for betting
  9. face — part of the head
  10. wind — moving air
  11. current — of water
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. face — to confront
  15. chip — to eat
  16. perch — the fish
  17. track — a song
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. track — a path
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. fall — to drop
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. current — electric
  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