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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 116 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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. wake — a trail
  3. game — wild animals
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. scale — size or range
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. game — a match
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. mug — a face
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mug — to rob
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. scale — in music
  17. suit — to fit
  18. bulb — for light
  19. face — to confront
  20. suit — in cards
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. face — to point toward
  23. suit — clothes
  24. mine — for digging

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