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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. face — to confront
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. last — final
  7. face — part of the head
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mate — to breed
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. last — finally
  13. bulb — for light
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. mate — a partner
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. saw — the tool
  20. last — to go on
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. bulb — for light
  23. mate — a friend
  24. face — to point toward

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