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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 116 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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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: bulb · face · can · pitcher · spring · snap · saw · bore

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. spring — a coil
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. face — part of the head
  7. can — a tin
  8. bore — to tire
  9. saw — the tool
  10. face — to point toward
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. can — to be able to
  13. spring — the season
  14. bulb — for light
  15. face — to confront
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. can — a tin
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bulb — for light
  21. snap — to click
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bore — to drill
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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