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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. face — to confront
  3. rest — what's left
  4. game — wild animals
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. game — a match
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bulb — for light
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. face — to point toward
  14. perch — the fish
  15. mate — to breed
  16. face — part of the head
  17. mate — a friend
  18. rest — what's left
  19. mate — a partner
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. bulb — for light
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rest — a break
  24. patient — a sick person

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