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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  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. mine — an explosive
  2. deal — to handle
  3. band — a ring
  4. face — to confront
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wound — an injury
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. toast — bread
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. wound — an injury
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. face — part of the head
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. face — to point toward
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. band — a music group
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. mine — for digging
  23. deal — a big deal
  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