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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 120 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: lean · current · pop · mate · rest · face · staff · kid

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. pop — music
  4. face — to confront
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — thin
  7. rest — what's left
  8. mate — to breed
  9. pop — to visit
  10. mate — a friend
  11. staff — employees
  12. current — happening now
  13. face — part of the head
  14. kid — to tease
  15. current — of water
  16. rest — what's left
  17. staff — a stick
  18. mate — a partner
  19. staff — employees
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. kid — child
  22. pop — soda
  23. rest — a break
  24. face — to point toward

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