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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 116 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. face — to confront
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. march — music
  7. current — electric
  8. saw — the tool
  9. current — of water
  10. ground — a position
  11. march — the month
  12. ground — crushed
  13. march — the month
  14. current — happening now
  15. ground — the earth
  16. pit — a hole
  17. rush — hurry
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. saw — the tool
  22. face — part of the head
  23. pit — in a race
  24. face — to point toward

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