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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. spring — the season
  3. face — to confront
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. spring — of water
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. spring — a coil
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. ball — a great time
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. face — to point toward
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. pass — a permit
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bulb — for light

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