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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  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. staff — employees
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. rest — a break
  4. bulb — for light
  5. staff — a stick
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. bulb — for light
  8. staff — employees
  9. face — part of the head
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. band — a music group
  12. face — to point toward
  13. track — a song
  14. plane — a tool
  15. track — to keep track
  16. rest — what's left
  17. band — a ring
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. rest — what's left
  22. track — a path
  23. coach — a trainer
  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