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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 · ball · mate · saw · hide · fall · last · face

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. fall — to drop
  3. saw — the tool
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mate — a partner
  6. last — finally
  7. last — final
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. fall — to drop
  10. current — happening now
  11. mate — to breed
  12. face — to point toward
  13. fall — the season
  14. saw — the tool
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. face — to confront
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. current — of water
  19. mate — a friend
  20. face — part of the head
  21. ball — a great time
  22. current — electric
  23. ball — a dance
  24. last — to go on

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