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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: rash · current · mine · wake · bass · mug · pop · face

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. mug — to rob
  3. pop — soda
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. current — electric
  6. bass — the fish
  7. mug — a cup
  8. pop — to visit
  9. rash — a series
  10. face — part of the head
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — to confront
  17. mug — a face
  18. rash — hasty
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — of water
  21. pop — music
  22. bass — low music
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mine — belonging to me

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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