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

Word bank: straw · bowl · bulb · face · rule · bat · pit · craft

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. pit — a hole
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — to confront
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — boats
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. rule — a law
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rule — government
  21. craft — a skill
  22. pit — in a race
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. bat — in an idiom

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