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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. current — electric
  3. can — a tin
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mark — a trace
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — of water
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. fine — all right
  14. prune — to trim
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. mark — a grade
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  24. bat — for baseball

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