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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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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 · cell · stand · face · pass · perch · cabinet · swing

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. swing — in golf
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. current — of water
  6. stand — to bear
  7. current — happening now
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. swing — music
  10. cell — a phone
  11. face — to confront
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. face — to point toward
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. face — part of the head
  16. pass — a permit
  17. perch — the fish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. current — electric
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. swing — to play on
  22. cell — in biology
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. stand — on your feet

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