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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: prune · sharp · bore · arm · game · bulb · mug · face

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. bulb — for light
  3. game — a match
  4. face — to confront
  5. prune — to trim
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. mug — to rob
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. prune — to trim
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. mug — a cup
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bore — to drill
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bore — to tire
  21. game — wild animals
  22. face — part of the head
  23. sharp — clever
  24. bore — gave birth

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