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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's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bulb — for light
  3. face — to confront
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. rest — what's left
  6. saw — the tool
  7. rest — what's left
  8. firm — steady
  9. bulb — for light
  10. can — to be able to
  11. rest — a break
  12. can — a tin
  13. squash — to crush
  14. can — a tin
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. firm — a company
  17. hand — help
  18. face — part of the head
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. face — to point toward
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. firm — decided
  23. squash — the sport
  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