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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.

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 · face · can · pitcher · spring · snap

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. face — to point toward
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. snap — to click
  6. can — a tin
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. face — part of the head
  10. spring — of water
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. face — to confront
  13. can — a tin
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. spring — the season
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. can — to be able to

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