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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. saw — the tool
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bear — the animal
  7. face — to point toward
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. bulb — for light
  10. saw — the tool
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. chest — a box
  14. face — part of the head
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bulb — for light
  17. content — happy
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — what's left
  20. content — the amount
  21. bear — the animal
  22. face — to confront
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — to roll

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