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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tear · key · face · wound · perch · tube · current · bulb

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to confront
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. current — of water
  7. face — to point toward
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. wound — an injury
  11. key — for a lock
  12. current — happening now
  13. key — in music
  14. tear — to rip
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. tear — from crying
  17. current — electric
  18. bulb — for light
  19. key — the most important part
  20. perch — the fish
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — the underground

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