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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 116 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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. ball — a dance
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — a container
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bulb — for light
  9. face — to confront
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. pop — music
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wound — an injury
  17. pop — soda
  18. deal — to handle
  19. mate — to breed
  20. wound — an injury
  21. mate — a partner
  22. pop — to visit
  23. mate — a friend
  24. face — to point toward

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