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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wound — an injury
  4. face — to confront
  5. suit — in cards
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bear — the animal
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. fine — high quality
  10. suit — clothes
  11. cold — an illness
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. bore — to drill
  14. cold — not warm
  15. face — to point toward
  16. wound — an injury
  17. suit — to fit
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. fine — all right
  24. bore — gave birth

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