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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. face — to point toward
  3. present — there
  4. face — part of the head
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bulb — for light
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. mark — a grade
  9. lie — to recline
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bass — the fish
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mug — a face
  14. face — to confront
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bulb — for light
  17. present — the time now
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — low music
  21. present — a gift
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mark — a trace

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