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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: bulb · mine · lash · bore · march · prune · fine · face

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. face — to confront
  3. face — to point toward
  4. bulb — for light
  5. face — part of the head
  6. march — the month
  7. prune — to trim
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. bore — to tire
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. mine — for digging
  12. march — the month
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. fine — all right
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. march — music
  18. bulb — for light
  19. prune — to trim
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. fine — high quality
  24. bore — to drill

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