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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: bore · bulb · trunk · pit · tear · firm · bass · face

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. firm — decided
  3. face — part of the head
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bore — to tire
  6. face — to point toward
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bass — the fish
  9. firm — steady
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. pit — in a race
  13. face — to confront
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. tear — from crying
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. tear — to rip
  19. tear — from crying
  20. firm — a company
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bass — low music
  23. bore — to drill
  24. pit — a hole

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