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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. hand — help
  3. roll — a cake
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bulb — for light
  6. face — to confront
  7. bore — to drill
  8. face — to point toward
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cell — in biology
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. craft — a skill
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. face — part of the head
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cell — a phone
  21. roll — a list
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — boats
  24. hand — in cards

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