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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fall — the season
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bound — certain
  7. degree — from a university
  8. degree — temperature
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mug — a cup
  12. land — ground
  13. mug — a face
  14. land — a country
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. mug — to rob
  18. land — to come down
  19. face — to confront
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bound — obliged
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. degree — an amount
  24. safe — out of danger

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