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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.

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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: sharp · current · leaves · face · cell · snap · board · ruler

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. cell — a phone
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. board — a committee
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — electric
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. face — part of the head
  12. sharp — clever
  13. snap — to click
  14. current — of water
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. cell — in biology
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. face — to point toward
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. board — to get on
  24. sharp — exactly

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