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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. file — a line of people
  3. bank — of a river
  4. file — a tool
  5. bulb — for light
  6. tube — the underground
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. bound — tied together
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. tube — a container
  16. file — a document
  17. bound — obliged
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wake — a trail
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bound — certain

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