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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. face — to point toward
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. can — a tin
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. face — to confront
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. chest — a box
  11. staff — employees
  12. can — to be able to
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. chest — of your body
  15. staff — employees
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. can — a tin
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. staff — a stick

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