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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: current · trunk · cell · bear · bound · pitch · face · wave

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. cell — in biology
  3. face — to point toward
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. face — part of the head
  9. current — of water
  10. current — happening now
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bound — obliged
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. face — to confront
  20. bear — the animal
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. cell — a phone
  23. pitch — completely
  24. bound — certain

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