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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. cold — an illness
  3. mug — to rob
  4. bulb — for light
  5. plane — a tool
  6. rash — a series
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. face — to confront
  9. cold — not warm
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. face — to point toward
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. face — part of the head
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. mug — a cup
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bulb — for light

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