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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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468
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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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. march — the month
  3. bulb — for light
  4. face — to confront
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. march — music
  9. face — part of the head
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. saw — the tool
  12. fine — all right
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. scale — in music
  17. kick — in football
  18. saw — the tool
  19. fine — high quality
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. march — the month
  23. bulb — for light
  24. face — to point toward

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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