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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: ground · face · bowl · bulb · roll · mouse · chip · lean

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  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. face — part of the head
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. ground — crushed
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. face — to point toward
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. roll — a cake
  13. bulb — for light
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. face — to confront
  17. chip — to eat
  18. roll — a list
  19. lean — to bend
  20. ground — a position
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. ground — the earth
  23. lean — thin
  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