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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: perch · face · current · fine · band · shower · rest · bulb

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. current — electric
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rest — a break
  5. face — to confront
  6. current — of water
  7. band — a music group
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rest — what's left
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. fine — high quality
  14. perch — the fish
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. rest — what's left
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. band — a ring
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. face — part of the head
  21. shower — to wash
  22. fine — all right
  23. shower — rain
  24. current — happening now

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