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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: ground · land · track · lash · current · can · board · face

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. track — to keep track
  3. board — to get on
  4. land — to come down
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to point toward
  7. track — a path
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. board — a committee
  10. land — ground
  11. track — a song
  12. ground — a position
  13. current — happening now
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ground — crushed
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. can — a tin
  19. land — a country
  20. can — a tin
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. can — to be able to
  23. current — of water
  24. current — electric

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