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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: stick · can · object · hand · face · current · wave · staff

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. can — a tin
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. face — to point toward
  5. staff — employees
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — in cards
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. staff — employees
  12. face — to confront
  13. current — electric
  14. current — of water
  15. object — an aim
  16. staff — a stick
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. object — a thing
  19. face — part of the head
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. current — happening now
  24. object — to protest

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