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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  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. safe — a strongbox
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. dip — to sink
  5. cap — of ice
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. cell — a phone
  9. cap — a lid
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. face — to confront
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. face — part of the head
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bulb — for light
  18. cap — a hat
  19. wound — an injury
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. cell — in biology
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. dip — a sauce
  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