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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. wind — moving air
  5. object — a thing
  6. face — to point toward
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — of water
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. object — to protest
  14. object — an aim
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. wind — moving air
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bulb — for light
  21. current — electric
  22. mark — a trace
  23. face — part of the head
  24. mark — to pay attention

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