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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've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. firm — decided
  5. firm — a company
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bore — to drill
  9. key — in music
  10. kid — to tease
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bulb — for light
  14. firm — steady
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. key — for a lock
  17. face — part of the head
  18. kid — child
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. fork — in a road
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bulb — of a plant

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