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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 · face · wind · board · bay · dip · bear · bore

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  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. dip — to dunk
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. board — a committee
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. dip — to sink
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bear — the animal
  18. face — to confront
  19. face — to point toward
  20. wind — moving air
  21. board — to get on
  22. face — part of the head
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  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