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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 116 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: field · current · charge · last · nail · pop · face · bay

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. face — to point toward
  3. field — for sport
  4. last — final
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. charge — in control
  7. pop — soda
  8. current — electric
  9. face — part of the head
  10. field — farmland
  11. current — happening now
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pop — music
  14. charge — a price
  15. face — to confront
  16. last — finally
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. charge — electricity
  19. field — a subject
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. pop — to visit
  22. current — of water
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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