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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bound — tied together
  4. face — to confront
  5. bound — certain
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. face — to point toward
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. face — part of the head
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. plane — a tool
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. bound — obliged
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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