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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. swing — music
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pit — a hole
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. bulb — for light
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. mine — for digging
  14. track — to keep track
  15. swing — in golf
  16. face — part of the head
  17. swing — to play on
  18. stem — to come from
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. track — a song
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. track — a path
  23. face — to point toward
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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