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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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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 · swing · temple · toast · object · deal · file · bulb

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. object — a thing
  4. file — a tool
  5. face — to confront
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. face — to point toward
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — in golf
  15. swing — music
  16. object — to protest
  17. face — part of the head
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. toast — bread
  20. deal — to handle
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. object — an aim
  23. file — a document
  24. file — a line of people

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