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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. face — part of the head
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. fall — to drop
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. face — to confront
  11. craft — boats
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. craft — a skill
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. face — to point toward
  16. fall — the season
  17. fall — to drop
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. wound — an injury
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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