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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.

Make a worksheet

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: current · cabinet · face · pitch · calf · lash · toast · game

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. game — wild animals
  3. face — to point toward
  4. toast — bread
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. game — a match
  11. face — to confront
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. current — electric
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pitch — completely
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. face — part of the head
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. current — happening now
  24. current — of water

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