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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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468
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: bulb · bore · bark · foot · face · scale · row · deal

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. bulb — for light
  7. foot — a measure
  8. scale — in music
  9. row — a line
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. bark — to shout
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. bore — to drill
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bore — to tire
  17. face — part of the head
  18. bulb — for light
  19. row — to paddle
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. deal — to handle
  22. face — to confront
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. scale — size or range

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