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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 · key · face · saw · bore · lean · cue · bulb

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — to drill
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bulb — for light
  5. face — to confront
  6. face — to point toward
  7. saw — the tool
  8. spring — a coil
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bulb — for light
  13. lean — to bend
  14. spring — of water
  15. key — the most important part
  16. face — part of the head
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. spring — the season
  19. key — in music
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. lean — thin
  22. key — for a lock
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bulb — of a plant

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