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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. row — a line
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. field — for sport
  7. rash — a series
  8. face — to confront
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. field — a subject
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. scale — size or range
  13. scale — in music
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. rash — hasty
  18. face — part of the head
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. field — farmland
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. bulb — for light

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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