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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: face · bulb · bat · fork · saw · bowl · cabinet · bark

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. bulb — for light
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. face — to confront
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. fork — in a road
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bat — the animal
  22. saw — the tool
  23. face — to point toward
  24. bowl — a football final

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