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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 120 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. pop — soda
  3. shower — to wash
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pop — to visit
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. face — to confront
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. march — the month
  11. bulb — for light
  12. march — the month
  13. present — a gift
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. shower — rain
  16. present — the time now
  17. march — music
  18. face — part of the head
  19. present — there
  20. face — to point toward
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. pop — music
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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