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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. face — part of the head
  3. mug — a face
  4. kid — child
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. face — to point toward
  7. key — the most important part
  8. mug — to rob
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. bulb — for light
  11. club — for golf
  12. wound — an injury
  13. key — in music
  14. club — a group
  15. mug — a cup
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. key — for a lock
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. club — for dancing
  21. kid — to tease
  22. wound — an injury
  23. plane — a tool
  24. face — to confront

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