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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 116 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: fan · face · leaves · season · dip · lie · current · sharp

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. face — to confront
  3. current — happening now
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. season — in sport
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. dip — to sink
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. sharp — clever
  14. face — part of the head
  15. lie — to recline
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. face — to point toward
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. season — of the year
  23. current — of water
  24. dip — a sauce

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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