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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: lash · dip · current · ruler · wake · face · land · capital

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. capital — money
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. current — electric
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. current — of water
  8. face — to confront
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. dip — to sink
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. capital — a city
  13. land — to come down
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. face — to point toward
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. land — ground
  19. land — a country
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. wake — a trail
  22. current — happening now
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. lash — an eyelash

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