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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bulb — for light
  4. craft — boats
  5. face — part of the head
  6. swing — in golf
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bulb — for light
  9. face — to confront
  10. spring — the season
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. craft — a skill
  13. spring — of water
  14. spring — a coil
  15. swing — music
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. swing — to play on
  18. bear — the animal

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