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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 116 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: leaves · lie · pop · face · current · last · bay · bulb

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. face — to point toward
  3. pop — to visit
  4. current — happening now
  5. lie — to recline
  6. last — to go on
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pop — soda
  11. face — to confront
  12. last — finally
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. face — part of the head
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. pop — music
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. current — electric
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. last — final
  23. current — of water
  24. leaves — lets stay

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