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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. current — electric
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. face — to confront
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. face — part of the head
  10. bulb — for light
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — to wash
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. bulb — for light
  16. current — happening now
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. shower — rain
  20. current — of water
  21. mine — for digging
  22. sharp — clever
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. sharp — with an edge

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