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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: drill · kid · perch · bulb · sharp · bowl · deal · face

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. sharp — clever
  6. kid — child
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. face — part of the head
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bulb — for light
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. drill — the tool
  16. perch — the fish
  17. drill — army training
  18. deal — to handle
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. face — to point toward
  22. kid — to tease
  23. drill — a practice
  24. deal — an agreement

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