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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: can · spring · bulb · face · court · lie · bowl · fine

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  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. spring — a coil
  2. fine — all right
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. court — for sport
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. court — of law
  7. face — part of the head
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. face — to point toward
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. can — a tin
  15. face — to confront
  16. lie — to recline
  17. court — of a king
  18. can — a tin
  19. spring — the season
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. can — to be able to
  22. spring — of water
  23. fine — high quality
  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