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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. rule — government
  4. capital — money
  5. rule — a law
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. spell — magic
  8. bulb — for light
  9. lean — to bend
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. face — part of the head
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bulb — for light
  16. lean — thin
  17. firm — steady
  18. firm — a company
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. firm — decided
  21. capital — a city
  22. face — to confront
  23. spell — a short time
  24. spell — letters

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