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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
468
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: roll · face · wave · current · land · sharp · object · date

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. current — happening now
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. current — electric
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. roll — a list
  8. object — a thing
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. face — to point toward
  13. roll — a cake
  14. object — to protest
  15. face — to confront
  16. land — a country
  17. face — part of the head
  18. sharp — clever
  19. date — the fruit
  20. object — an aim
  21. current — of water
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. land — to come down

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