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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. chest — of your body
  6. face — to confront
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. chest — of your body
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. chest — a box
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. face — to point toward

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