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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. face — to confront
  3. net — in sport
  4. file — a document
  5. pit — a hole
  6. file — a line of people
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bulb — for light
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — an injury
  13. net — after costs
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. file — a tool
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. net — for catching
  18. face — to point toward
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. pit — in a race
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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