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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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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. cap — a hat
  3. field — for sport
  4. face — part of the head
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. row — a line
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. cap — a lid
  10. spell — magic
  11. face — to confront
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. field — farmland
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. cap — of ice
  18. row — to paddle
  19. face — to point toward
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — a short time
  24. field — a subject

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