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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 120 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  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. season — in sport
  2. kid — child
  3. ball — a great time
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. face — part of the head
  7. bulb — for light
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. season — of the year
  14. ball — a dance
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. kid — to tease
  17. face — to point toward
  18. row — to paddle
  19. face — to confront
  20. row — a line
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. ball — a round shape
  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