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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. plane — a tool
  4. rash — hasty
  5. face — part of the head
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. rash — a series
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. cold — an illness
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. face — to confront
  12. chip — to eat
  13. cold — not warm
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chip — for betting
  18. hand — help
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. hand — in cards
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — steady
  23. firm — decided
  24. face — to point toward

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