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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. face — to point toward
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. sharp — clever
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. chair — a leader
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. fork — in a road
  10. mark — a trace
  11. content — happy
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. face — to confront
  14. content — the amount
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. face — part of the head
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stand — to bear
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. bulb — for light
  23. mark — a grade
  24. chair — a professorship

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