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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. bulb — for light
  3. object — to protest
  4. object — an aim
  5. charge — a price
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bank — for money
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. march — the month
  13. squash — the sport
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. march — music
  16. squash — to crush
  17. march — the month
  18. object — a thing
  19. bank — for money
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — in control
  22. face — to point toward
  23. bank — of a river
  24. face — part of the head

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