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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. cue — a hint
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. perch — the fish
  5. face — part of the head
  6. race — humankind
  7. bulb — for light
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. date — the fruit
  13. race — the arms race
  14. cue — a signal
  15. rock — music
  16. dip — to sink
  17. race — a contest
  18. face — to point toward
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. cue — for pool
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. rock — a stone

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