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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. rock — music
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. mate — a partner
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. file — a tool
  8. bulb — for light
  9. file — a line of people
  10. mark — a trace
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. face — to point toward
  13. mate — to breed
  14. file — a document
  15. mate — a friend
  16. craft — boats
  17. face — to confront
  18. craft — a skill
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. rock — a stone
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bulb — for light
  23. mark — a grade
  24. temple — side of the head

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