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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've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bulb — for light
  7. scale — size or range
  8. wake — a trail
  9. face — to confront
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. cell — in biology
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. scale — in music
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. cell — a phone
  23. face — part of the head
  24. cabinet — ministers

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