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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bulb — for light
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a music group
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. face — to point toward
  9. shower — to wash
  10. face — to confront
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. pit — in a race
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. capital — money
  16. face — part of the head
  17. capital — a city
  18. shower — rain
  19. band — a ring
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. pit — a hole
  24. bulb — for light

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