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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: kid · face · clip · suit · arm · current · hide · ball

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. clip — a video
  3. face — to point toward
  4. suit — to fit
  5. face — part of the head
  6. ball — a great time
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — clothes
  11. current — of water
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. clip — for paper
  14. kid — child
  15. kid — to tease
  16. current — happening now
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. current — electric
  22. clip — to cut
  23. face — to confront
  24. hide — to keep secret

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