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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: spring · lie · court · can · mouse · bore · date · bulb

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. court — of a king
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — the fruit
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. can — a tin
  7. bulb — for light
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bore — to drill
  12. court — for sport
  13. bulb — for light
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. can — a tin
  18. spring — of water
  19. spring — the season
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. can — to be able to
  22. lie — to recline
  23. court — of law
  24. bore — to tire

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