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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to point toward
  4. sharp — clever
  5. land — ground
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. land — to come down
  15. bulb — for light
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. spring — of water
  22. face — to confront
  23. spring — a coil
  24. land — a country

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