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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 · spell · tear · mug · hand · wake · bore · kick

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  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. bulb — for light
  2. mug — to rob
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. tear — from crying
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. hand — help
  7. kick — in football
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. wake — a trail
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. mug — a face
  13. tear — to rip
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bore — to tire
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — letters
  19. mug — a cup
  20. tear — from crying
  21. bore — to drill
  22. hand — in cards
  23. spell — a short time
  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