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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. mate — a partner
  9. face — to point toward
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bat — the animal
  13. face — part of the head
  14. saw — the tool
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. bulb — for light
  20. face — to confront
  21. saw — the tool
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bulb — for light
  24. nail — for a hammer

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