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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. file — a line of people
  3. stand — to bear
  4. face — to confront
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a document
  7. current — happening now
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. spell — letters
  10. land — a country
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. spell — a short time
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bulb — for light
  19. current — electric
  20. spell — magic
  21. current — of water
  22. bulb — for light
  23. land — ground
  24. land — to come down

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