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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: chest · rash · face · dip · bass · leaves · bulb · stand

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. face — to point toward
  3. stand — to bear
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bass — low music
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. chest — a box
  9. rash — a series
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. chest — of your body
  12. face — part of the head
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bass — the fish
  16. dip — to sink
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. chest — of your body
  19. face — to confront
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rash — hasty
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. bulb — for light
  24. stand — for spectators

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