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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to confront
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. fine — all right
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bat — the animal
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bulb — for light
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. ground — a position
  16. fine — high quality
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. firm — a company
  19. ground — the earth
  20. ground — crushed
  21. firm — steady
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. dip — to dunk

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