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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: can · row · hide · bat · face · sharp · bulb · racket

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. can — a tin
  5. bulb — for light
  6. row — to paddle
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bulb — for light
  12. face — to confront
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. row — a line
  23. sharp — clever
  24. racket — for tennis

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