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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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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 · coach · mug · bulb · face · object · wake · spring

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bulb — for light
  3. spring — a coil
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. object — a thing
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mug — a face
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bulb — for light
  10. face — to point toward
  11. object — an aim
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. face — to confront
  15. mug — to rob
  16. object — to protest
  17. spring — the season
  18. face — part of the head
  19. spring — of water
  20. bore — to tire
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bulb — of a plant

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