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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: field · bay · toast · sharp · wave · current · face · wound

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  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. sharp — clever
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wound — an injury
  4. current — happening now
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. face — to confront
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. field — farmland
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. field — a subject
  13. field — for sport
  14. toast — bread
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. face — to point toward
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. face — part of the head
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. current — electric
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. sharp — with an edge
  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