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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 · lash · kid · face · mouse · foot · spring · season

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. kid — child
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bulb — for light
  6. face — part of the head
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. kid — to tease
  9. season — in sport
  10. bulb — for light
  11. spring — a coil
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. foot — a measure
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. face — to confront
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. spring — of water
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. season — of the year

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