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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 120 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: pass · field · rock · face · bat · dip · current · wound

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. face — part of the head
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. wound — an injury
  5. current — electric
  6. dip — to sink
  7. current — happening now
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. field — farmland
  10. face — to point toward
  11. bat — the animal
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. field — a subject
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. field — for sport
  17. wound — an injury
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. rock — music
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. face — to confront
  24. dip — a sauce

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