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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.

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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: lean · band · saw · bowl · bay · kick · face · current

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. band — a ring
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. face — to confront
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. lean — to bend
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. lean — thin
  13. band — a music group
  14. current — of water
  15. face — part of the head
  16. kick — in football
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. saw — the tool
  22. current — electric
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. saw — the tool

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