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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. season — of the year
  3. bulb — for light
  4. ground — crushed
  5. wound — an injury
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. charge — a price
  10. charge — in control
  11. ground — the earth
  12. face — to point toward
  13. season — in sport
  14. wound — an injury
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. ground — a position
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. face — part of the head

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