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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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. root — of a word
  4. face — to confront
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. root — of a plant
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. object — an aim
  10. face — part of the head
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. net — for catching
  13. face — to point toward
  14. net — after costs
  15. fine — all right
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. perch — the fish
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. net — in sport
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. fine — high quality
  22. root — the cause
  23. object — a thing
  24. object — to protest

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