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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 120 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: lash · bulb · bore · ground · calf · face · deal · kick

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. face — to point toward
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. bore — to drill
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. face — part of the head
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bulb — for light
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. deal — to handle
  17. bulb — for light
  18. face — to confront
  19. ground — crushed
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. ground — the earth
  22. bore — to tire
  23. kick — in football
  24. calf — a young animal

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