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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: current · sharp · hand · face · lie · rock · bay · chest

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  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. hand — help
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. current — of water
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. current — electric
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rock — a stone
  14. hand — in cards
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. lie — to recline
  18. current — happening now
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. chest — a box
  21. face — part of the head
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. face — to point toward
  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