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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wind · face · cabinet · key · bulb · last · club · bat

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. last — finally
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bat — the animal
  12. key — the most important part
  13. last — to go on
  14. key — in music
  15. last — final
  16. face — to confront
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for golf
  19. key — for a lock
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. club — for dancing
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. face — to point toward

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