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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rest — a break
  3. face — to point toward
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. clip — to cut
  7. wound — an injury
  8. face — to confront
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. hand — in cards
  12. face — part of the head
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. hand — help
  17. rest — what's left
  18. clip — for paper
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. clip — a video
  22. rest — what's left
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rush — hurry

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