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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. roll — a list
  4. face — part of the head
  5. drill — the tool
  6. bulb — for light
  7. club — for dancing
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. roll — a cake
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. club — for golf
  18. mark — a grade
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. drill — a practice
  21. club — a group
  22. drill — army training
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. face — to point toward

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