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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: object · nail · current · face · wave · net · staff · mate

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. mate — a partner
  3. staff — employees
  4. object — to protest
  5. current — of water
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. staff — a stick
  8. mate — to breed
  9. net — after costs
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — an aim
  12. face — to point toward
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. face — to confront
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. staff — employees
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. current — happening now
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — for catching
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. current — electric
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. mate — a friend

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