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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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  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. mine — an explosive
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bulb — for light
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to confront
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. wake — a trail
  12. file — a document
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. file — a line of people
  15. file — a tool
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. snap — to click
  22. wake — before a funeral
  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