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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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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: bear · face · bulb · rest · rock · kick · fork · fall

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rock — music
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. face — part of the head
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. rest — what's left
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. face — to confront
  12. rock — a stone
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. face — to point toward
  16. fork — in a road
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rest — a break
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. kick — in football
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fork — a garden tool

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