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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 120 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 had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bulb — for light
  7. face — to confront
  8. bound — certain
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — a law
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — obliged
  13. rule — government
  14. face — to point toward
  15. foot — a measure
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. bulb — for light
  18. squash — to crush
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. scale — in music
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. bat — the animal
  24. squash — the sport

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