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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: current · key · stick · dip · can · net · cold · face

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — happening now
  3. can — a tin
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. cold — an illness
  6. net — after costs
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. face — part of the head
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. net — for catching
  11. current — of water
  12. can — to be able to
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. dip — to sink
  15. net — in sport
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — for a lock
  18. cold — not warm
  19. key — in music
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. face — to point toward
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. can — a tin
  24. face — to confront

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