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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — to bear
  3. face — to point toward
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. bulb — for light
  6. can — a tin
  7. current — of water
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. snap — to click
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. can — to be able to
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. mine — for digging
  14. can — a tin
  15. face — to confront
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. face — part of the head
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. current — happening now
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rock — music
  22. current — electric
  23. rock — a stone
  24. mine — belonging to me

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