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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: mine · face · wake · stick · bat · bore · present · bulb

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. face — part of the head
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. present — there
  10. present — the time now
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. present — a gift
  13. face — to point toward
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — a trail
  16. face — to confront
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mine — for digging
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bore — to drill
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bat — the animal

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