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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. rash — a series
  3. face — to confront
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. current — happening now
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — part of the head
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — a thing
  11. current — electric
  12. hand — help
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. row — to paddle
  15. object — to protest
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. hand — in cards
  20. row — a line
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. plane — a tool
  24. current — of water

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