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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: court · face · roll · arm · current · rock · row · staff

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. court — of a king
  3. face — part of the head
  4. rock — music
  5. face — to point toward
  6. rock — a stone
  7. row — a line
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. staff — employees
  10. roll — a list
  11. current — electric
  12. face — to confront
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. court — of law
  16. staff — a stick
  17. current — of water
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. staff — employees
  21. roll — a cake
  22. court — for sport
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. current — happening now

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