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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. bulb — for light
  3. key — the most important part
  4. face — part of the head
  5. craft — boats
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. face — to point toward
  8. current — of water
  9. key — in music
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. face — to confront
  13. kick — in football
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. court — of a king
  16. saw — the tool
  17. current — happening now
  18. court — for sport
  19. current — electric
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. bulb — for light
  22. key — for a lock
  23. craft — a skill
  24. saw — the tool

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