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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 124 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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. face — to point toward
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. season — of the year
  6. kid — child
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bulb — for light
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. season — in sport
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. face — to confront
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. kid — to tease
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. face — part of the head
  24. dip — to sink

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