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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: cold · bat · face · current · roll · mouse · cabinet · suit

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. bat — the animal
  3. current — of water
  4. current — happening now
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — part of the head
  7. cold — not warm
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. current — electric
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. suit — to fit
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. roll — a list
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. cold — an illness
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. suit — in cards
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. roll — a cake
  24. suit — clothes

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