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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: face · pop · trunk · nail · coach · craft · ball · rash

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. ball — a great time
  3. face — to confront
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. craft — a skill
  6. ball — a dance
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. craft — boats
  9. rash — hasty
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. pop — to visit
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. face — part of the head
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. pop — music
  19. face — to point toward
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. pop — soda

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