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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fall — to drop
  6. face — part of the head
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fine — all right
  9. bulb — for light
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. fall — the season
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hand — in cards
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. hand — help
  17. capital — a city
  18. face — to point toward
  19. capital — money
  20. ball — a dance
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. face — to confront
  23. bulb — for light
  24. ball — a great time

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