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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: spring · wave · stand · bulb · trunk · cap · saw · bore

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. bore — to drill
  7. spring — a coil
  8. cap — a lid
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. bulb — for light
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. spring — of water
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. cap — a hat
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. saw — the tool
  24. cap — of ice

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