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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's very handy with a ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. face — part of the head
  3. wind — moving air
  4. march — music
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. wind — moving air
  9. march — the month
  10. board — to get on
  11. bulb — for light
  12. face — to confront
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. face — to point toward
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. board — a committee
  18. march — the month
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. saw — the tool
  23. kick — in football
  24. wind — to turn a key

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