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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. drill — army training
  3. court — for sport
  4. firm — steady
  5. bulb — for light
  6. drill — the tool
  7. squash — the sport
  8. firm — decided
  9. bulb — for light
  10. firm — a company
  11. court — of law
  12. fall — the season
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. fall — to drop
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. fall — to drop
  17. squash — to crush
  18. face — to point toward
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. court — of a king
  21. drill — a practice
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  24. face — to confront

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