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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: current · firm · bat · last · face · bound · bowl · mouse

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. firm — steady
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. last — final
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bound — obliged
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bound — certain
  10. face — to confront
  11. last — finally
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bound — tied together
  14. firm — decided
  15. current — electric
  16. current — of water
  17. last — to go on
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. current — happening now
  23. firm — a company
  24. face — to point toward

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