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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 120 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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. row — a line
  3. rock — music
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. file — a tool
  6. face — to confront
  7. file — a document
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. court — for sport
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. object — a thing
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. court — of a king
  15. object — an aim
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. rock — a stone
  20. file — a line of people
  21. object — to protest
  22. face — part of the head
  23. court — of law
  24. row — to paddle

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