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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — music
  4. wake — a trail
  5. rock — a stone
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. face — to point toward
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. spell — magic
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. roll — a cake
  14. face — to confront
  15. mine — for digging
  16. roll — a list
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. bulb — for light
  22. face — part of the head
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — a short time

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