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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. degree — from a university
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. ground — crushed
  5. face — part of the head
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. plane — a tool
  9. lie — to recline
  10. bulb — for light
  11. ground — the earth
  12. degree — an amount
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — to get on
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. degree — temperature
  17. ground — a position
  18. face — to point toward
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. face — to confront
  24. board — a committee

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