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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. fall — the season
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bark — to shout
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. face — part of the head
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. fall — to drop
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. face — to confront

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