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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: face · bear · pit · staff · prune · mug · bulb · kid

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pit — in a race
  5. face — to point toward
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. mug — a cup
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. kid — child
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. face — part of the head
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bulb — for light
  17. staff — a stick
  18. pit — a hole
  19. kid — to tease
  20. mug — a face
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. mug — to rob
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. prune — to trim

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