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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: face · leaves · bulb · row · pit · spell · wind · lean

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. wind — moving air
  3. face — part of the head
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wind — moving air
  7. row — to paddle
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. face — to point toward
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. pit — in a race
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. face — to confront
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bulb — for light
  16. lean — to bend
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — letters
  22. row — a line
  23. spell — magic
  24. leaves — of a tree

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