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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 120 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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to confront
  4. degree — an amount
  5. degree — temperature
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. file — a tool
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bulb — for light
  14. file — a document
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. degree — from a university
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. file — a line of people
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bulb — for light
  23. face — to point toward
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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