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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: pit · face · spell · current · ruler · mine · pass · calf

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. face — to point toward
  5. spell — letters
  6. pass — a permit
  7. face — to confront
  8. current — of water
  9. spell — magic
  10. current — happening now
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. face — part of the head
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. pit — a hole
  16. current — electric
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. spell — a short time
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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