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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.

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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: current · rock · face · tear · fall · racket · pass · last

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. current — of water
  3. last — finally
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. rock — music
  8. face — to confront
  9. rock — a stone
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. face — part of the head
  12. fall — to drop
  13. pass — a permit
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. tear — from crying
  16. fall — the season
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. current — electric
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. tear — to rip
  21. last — to go on
  22. current — happening now
  23. tear — from crying
  24. last — final

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