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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: pass · face · hide · dip · bulb · sharp · spring · deal

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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. dip — a sauce
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. dip — to sink
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. spring — of water
  10. deal — to handle
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. face — to point toward
  13. sharp — clever
  14. face — to confront
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. pass — a permit
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. spring — the season
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. spring — a coil
  24. bulb — for light

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