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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 120 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: mate · arm · current · track · object · face · cell · file

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. face — to confront
  3. mate — to breed
  4. file — a document
  5. face — part of the head
  6. cell — in biology
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. object — to protest
  10. track — a path
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. current — of water
  13. file — a tool
  14. mate — a partner
  15. file — a line of people
  16. face — to point toward
  17. object — a thing
  18. current — electric
  19. cell — a phone
  20. current — happening now
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. track — to keep track
  23. object — an aim
  24. track — a song

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