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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. face — to point toward
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. charge — in control
  7. face — to confront
  8. wind — moving air
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. wind — moving air
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. bulb — for light
  16. charge — electricity
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — for betting
  19. bulb — for light
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. charge — a price
  24. face — part of the head

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