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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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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. face — to point toward
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. kid — to tease
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bulb — for light
  10. face — part of the head
  11. saw — the tool
  12. key — in music
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — for a lock
  16. face — to confront
  17. rash — a series
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. kid — child
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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