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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: wake · tube · wind · current · bay · calf · face · dip

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. face — to point toward
  4. tube — a container
  5. current — of water
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. current — happening now
  8. dip — to sink
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. tube — the underground
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. current — electric
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. face — part of the head
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. wind — moving air

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