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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: sharp · current · wake · key · last · present · face · mouse

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. last — final
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. current — happening now
  5. sharp — clever
  6. face — to point toward
  7. present — a gift
  8. last — finally
  9. present — there
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to confront
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. current — electric
  14. current — of water
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. key — in music
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wake — a trail
  19. key — for a lock
  20. key — the most important part
  21. present — the time now
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. last — to go on
  24. wake — before a funeral

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