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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. ball — a dance
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bear — the animal
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. face — part of the head
  7. cap — a lid
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. cap — a hat
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. face — to point toward
  14. bear — the animal
  15. season — in sport
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. face — to confront
  18. ball — a great time
  19. shower — rain
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bulb — for light
  23. season — of the year
  24. season — to add flavour

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