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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 · wound · rash · court · present · current · board · firm

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. firm — a company
  3. rash — hasty
  4. firm — steady
  5. firm — decided
  6. present — there
  7. present — the time now
  8. court — for sport
  9. face — to point toward
  10. wound — an injury
  11. court — of a king
  12. current — happening now
  13. face — to confront
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. current — electric
  17. wound — an injury
  18. present — a gift
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. face — part of the head
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a committee
  23. rash — a series
  24. court — of law

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