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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 124 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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. scale — in music
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. saw — the tool
  9. chip — to eat
  10. face — to confront
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. chip — for betting
  20. face — part of the head
  21. face — to point toward
  22. scale — size or range
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mine — for digging

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