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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 116 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: track · racket · bulb · kick · cell · saw · straw · face

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. cell — in biology
  4. face — to confront
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. track — to keep track
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. bulb — for light
  14. kick — in football
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. face — to point toward
  17. track — a path
  18. track — a song
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bulb — for light
  21. cell — a phone
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. saw — the tool
  24. kick — with a leg

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