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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: hand · kid · saw · face · mark · bulb · rush · roll

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. kid — to tease
  3. roll — a list
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. kid — child
  6. hand — in cards
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. face — to point toward
  14. rush — hurry
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. mark — a trace
  18. hand — help
  19. face — to confront
  20. roll — a cake
  21. face — part of the head
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rush — to hurry

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