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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 120 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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. spring — the season
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. face — to confront
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. face — to point toward
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. spring — of water
  18. key — for a lock
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bulb — for light
  21. key — in music
  22. fine — high quality
  23. spring — a coil
  24. fine — all right

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