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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: rock · straw · ruler · wound · fan · face · current · date

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. face — to point toward
  3. wound — an injury
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. current — electric
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. face — part of the head
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — a stone
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — of water
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. face — to confront
  23. wound — an injury
  24. rock — music

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