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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: lash · date · bore · land · face · charge · bowl · spring

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. spring — the season
  6. face — to point toward
  7. land — to come down
  8. date — the fruit
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. land — ground
  11. land — a country
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bore — to tire
  14. face — part of the head
  15. spring — of water
  16. charge — a price
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. face — to confront
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. spring — a coil
  22. charge — in control
  23. charge — electricity
  24. bowl — a dish

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