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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. roll — a list
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. face — to confront
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bulb — for light
  9. game — wild animals
  10. pass — a permit
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. bulb — for light
  18. roll — a cake
  19. face — part of the head
  20. game — a match
  21. shower — to wash
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. chair — a leader
  24. shower — rain

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