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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 116 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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. tube — the underground
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bulb — for light
  6. face — to point toward
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. bat — the animal
  11. face — to confront
  12. craft — boats
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. charge — a price
  15. sharp — clever
  16. charge — in control
  17. key — in music
  18. charge — electricity
  19. bulb — for light
  20. key — for a lock
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. face — part of the head
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. tube — a container

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