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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. face — part of the head
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bulb — for light
  5. file — a document
  6. hand — help
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. key — in music
  10. swing — to play on
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bulb — for light
  13. file — a tool
  14. key — for a lock
  15. ball — a dance
  16. swing — in golf
  17. file — a line of people
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. ball — a great time
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — to confront
  24. swing — music

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