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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: bulb · court · pitcher · track · wind · face · squash · hide

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. wind — moving air
  3. squash — the sport
  4. face — part of the head
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. wind — moving air
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. track — a path
  10. bulb — for light
  11. face — to confront
  12. court — for sport
  13. court — of a king
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. squash — to crush
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. court — of law
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bulb — for light
  23. track — a song
  24. wind — to turn a key

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