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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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. face — to confront
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. march — the month
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. face — to point toward
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. wind — moving air
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. face — part of the head
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bulb — for light
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. march — the month
  21. march — music
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. nail — for a hammer

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