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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: bowl · deal · rush · face · current · tear · swing · craft

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  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. face — to point toward
  2. rush — hurry
  3. craft — a skill
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. tear — to rip
  7. deal — to handle
  8. tear — from crying
  9. face — part of the head
  10. craft — boats
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. current — electric
  14. current — of water
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. swing — music
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. tear — from crying
  20. swing — to play on
  21. face — to confront
  22. swing — in golf
  23. deal — a big deal
  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