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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. face — part of the head
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — a coil
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. face — to point toward
  7. track — a song
  8. track — to keep track
  9. face — to confront
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. pit — in a race
  13. bulb — for light
  14. hand — help
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. rush — hurry
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. spring — of water
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. track — a path
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pit — a hole
  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