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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. current — electric
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. last — to go on
  6. content — happy
  7. bulb — for light
  8. face — to point toward
  9. face — part of the head
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. bulb — for light
  13. last — final
  14. branch — a division
  15. plane — a tool
  16. last — finally
  17. current — happening now
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. face — to confront
  22. current — of water
  23. content — the amount
  24. branch — of a bank

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