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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. face — to confront
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. current — electric
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — part of the head
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. dip — to sink
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. rash — a series
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. current — of water
  17. sharp — clever
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. current — happening now
  22. chip — for betting
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. chip — to eat

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