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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: bore · kick · spring · suit · mark · face · prune · mine

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. face — to point toward
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. face — part of the head
  6. spring — of water
  7. suit — in cards
  8. face — to confront
  9. mark — a trace
  10. suit — clothes
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bore — to tire
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. spring — the season
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mine — for digging
  18. suit — to fit
  19. kick — in football
  20. spring — a coil
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. mine — an explosive

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