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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. march — the month
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — for catching
  6. march — the month
  7. face — part of the head
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. net — in sport
  11. rush — hurry
  12. key — in music
  13. face — to confront
  14. key — for a lock
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bulb — for light
  19. face — to point toward
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — help
  22. march — music
  23. bulb — for light
  24. key — the most important part

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