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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: bore · face · bulb · stem · can · plane · shower · racket

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. face — to point toward
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. face — to confront
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. bore — to drill
  9. shower — to wash
  10. shower — rain
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. face — part of the head
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. plane — a tool
  19. stem — to come from
  20. can — a tin
  21. bulb — for light
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. bulb — for light
  24. stem — a stem cell

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