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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: current · face · bark · temple · kick · swing · firm · game

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. swing — music
  3. firm — a company
  4. current — of water
  5. current — electric
  6. face — to confront
  7. swing — to play on
  8. face — part of the head
  9. game — a match
  10. firm — decided
  11. kick — in football
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bark — to shout
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. swing — in golf
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. current — happening now
  23. firm — steady
  24. temple — a place of worship

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