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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. squash — the sport
  3. game — a match
  4. face — to confront
  5. game — wild animals
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. face — to point toward
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. spell — letters
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. current — electric
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. current — happening now
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. stand — to bear
  20. current — of water
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. spell — a short time
  24. spell — magic

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