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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 116 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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. shower — rain
  4. face — to point toward
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. saw — the tool
  12. craft — boats
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. craft — a skill
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. content — happy
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. face — part of the head
  20. shower — to wash
  21. capital — money
  22. capital — a city
  23. bulb — for light
  24. capital — a big letter

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