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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: face · spell · mark · current · mate · court · snap · rock

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. court — for sport
  3. current — of water
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. rock — a stone
  6. current — happening now
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. mate — a friend
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — of law
  12. mark — a grade
  13. face — to point toward
  14. mark — a trace
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mate — to breed
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — letters
  20. snap — to click
  21. current — electric
  22. rock — music
  23. spell — magic
  24. face — part of the head

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