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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: face · wound · stand · bear · fork · current · rest · ball

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. ball — a dance
  3. stand — to bear
  4. fork — in a road
  5. face — to point toward
  6. rest — a break
  7. current — happening now
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. rest — what's left
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bear — the animal
  15. rest — what's left
  16. face — part of the head
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. current — electric
  19. ball — a great time
  20. face — to confront
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. wound — an injury
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. current — of water

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