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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  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. bulb — for light
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. face — to confront
  6. lean — to bend
  7. face — part of the head
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. fine — all right
  10. lean — thin
  11. spell — magic
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. clip — to cut
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. clip — a video
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. spell — a short time
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. spell — letters
  22. clip — for paper
  23. face — to point toward
  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