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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. face — to confront
  3. face — part of the head
  4. spell — letters
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. face — to point toward
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. bulb — for light
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — music
  12. wound — an injury
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. tube — the underground
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. tube — a container
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. spell — a short time
  22. spell — magic
  23. bulb — for light
  24. wound — an injury

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