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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. face — to point toward
  3. tube — the underground
  4. land — ground
  5. dip — to sink
  6. tube — a container
  7. bulb — for light
  8. land — a country
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. cap — of ice
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. rush — hurry
  15. face — part of the head
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. cap — a hat
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. cap — a lid
  22. face — to confront
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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