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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 116 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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. kid — to tease
  4. bulb — for light
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. kid — child
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. content — happy
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bulb — for light
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. charge — a price
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. charge — electricity
  18. face — to point toward
  19. wind — moving air
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. content — the amount
  22. charge — in control
  23. face — to confront
  24. wind — to turn a key

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