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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. rash — a series
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. bound — tied together
  9. file — a document
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. face — to point toward
  12. bound — obliged
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bound — certain
  20. fork — in a road
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bulb — for light
  23. face — to confront
  24. file — a tool

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