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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. firm — decided
  5. content — happy
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. scale — size or range
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bulb — for light
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. scale — in music
  16. face — to confront
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wake — a trail
  19. face — part of the head
  20. firm — steady
  21. firm — a company
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. content — the amount

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