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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 120 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: bowl · last · bulb · spell · face · object · bay · snap

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. spell — a short time
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. spell — letters
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. object — a thing
  10. snap — to click
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. spell — magic
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. object — to protest
  19. last — finally
  20. face — to confront
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. object — an aim
  23. last — to go on
  24. last — 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