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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. last — finally
  3. face — to confront
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. face — part of the head
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. last — final
  12. last — to go on
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. stand — to bear
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wax — to grow
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. bulb — for light

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