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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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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: band · leaves · saw · sharp · face · kick · bulb · file

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. saw — the tool
  5. face — to point toward
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. sharp — clever
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. kick — in football
  10. bulb — for light
  11. band — a ring
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. file — a tool
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. file — a document
  17. face — to confront
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. bulb — for light
  20. file — a line of people
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. saw — the tool
  23. band — a music group
  24. kick — a thrill

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