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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: current · mark · roll · leaves · face · foot · pound · last

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. face — to confront
  4. mark — a trace
  5. pound — a weight
  6. last — final
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. roll — a cake
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. face — to point toward
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. current — electric
  13. foot — a measure
  14. mark — a grade
  15. current — of water
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. last — to go on
  20. last — finally
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. face — part of the head
  24. roll — a list

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