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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. saw — the tool
  4. face — to confront
  5. net — for catching
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. race — the arms race
  11. bulb — for light
  12. race — a contest
  13. tube — a container
  14. race — humankind
  15. face — part of the head
  16. net — in sport
  17. face — to point toward
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. net — after costs
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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