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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 120 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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bulb — for light
  4. file — a line of people
  5. land — ground
  6. land — a country
  7. bulb — for light
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. bore — to drill
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. face — part of the head
  12. land — to come down
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. face — to point toward
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. file — a document
  18. file — a tool
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bore — to tire
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. face — to confront
  24. leaves — to go away

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