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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. face — to point toward
  5. prune — to trim
  6. cell — a phone
  7. bulb — for light
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. fine — all right
  10. bulb — for light
  11. cell — in biology
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. face — to confront
  16. game — a match
  17. game — wild animals
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. face — part of the head
  23. fine — high quality
  24. temple — a place of worship

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