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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. capital — money
  6. cue — for pool
  7. dip — to sink
  8. face — to point toward
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. fine — high quality
  12. field — farmland
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. field — for sport
  16. fine — all right
  17. cue — a signal
  18. capital — a city
  19. bulb — for light
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. face — part of the head
  22. bulb — for light
  23. field — a subject
  24. cue — a hint

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