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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. face — to point toward
  3. wound — an injury
  4. face — to confront
  5. court — of law
  6. mark — a trace
  7. staff — employees
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bulb — for light
  12. club — for golf
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. court — for sport
  17. club — for dancing
  18. face — part of the head
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — a stick
  21. court — of a king
  22. club — a group
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. temple — a place of worship

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