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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 116 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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. season — of the year
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. bulb — for light
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. season — in sport
  7. face — part of the head
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. face — to point toward
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. face — to confront
  16. bark — to shout
  17. hand — help
  18. tube — a container
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. firm — steady
  21. fork — in a road
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — a company
  24. tube — the underground

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