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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: cell · lash · fall · bulb · face · bore · key · court

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bulb — for light
  5. key — the most important part
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. fall — the season
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to point toward
  10. key — for a lock
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. court — of a king
  13. court — of law
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bore — to tire
  17. face — to confront
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bore — to drill
  20. cell — in biology
  21. cell — a phone
  22. court — for sport
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. bulb — for light

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