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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
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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: row · current · chair · last · lie · land · face · bulb

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. face — to confront
  3. current — electric
  4. bulb — for light
  5. land — to come down
  6. lie — to recline
  7. bulb — for light
  8. row — a line
  9. row — to paddle
  10. current — of water
  11. land — a country
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. last — to go on
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. land — ground
  16. face — to point toward
  17. last — finally
  18. last — final
  19. chair — a leader
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. current — happening now
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. lie — an untruth

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