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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: leaves · bulb · scale · lie · bore · hand · present · bat

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. hand — help
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bulb — for light
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. lie — to recline
  9. scale — in music
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. bulb — for light
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. present — a gift
  19. present — the time now
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. present — there

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