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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · mug · bore · prune · ball · face · bear · rest

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mug — a face
  5. rest — what's left
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bore — to tire
  8. spring — a coil
  9. mug — a cup
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. rest — a break
  13. spring — the season
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bear — the animal
  17. face — part of the head
  18. face — to point toward
  19. bore — to drill
  20. spring — of water
  21. rest — what's left
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. face — to confront
  24. ball — a great time

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