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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: bulb · tube · firm · face · swing · sharp · march · lean

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. march — the month
  3. bulb — for light
  4. firm — decided
  5. firm — steady
  6. tube — the underground
  7. march — music
  8. bulb — for light
  9. lean — thin
  10. swing — in golf
  11. face — to confront
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. face — part of the head
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. firm — a company
  17. march — the month
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. sharp — clever
  20. lean — to bend
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. swing — to play on
  23. tube — a container
  24. swing — music

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