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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: bowl · bore · craft · can · dip · mark · stand · trunk

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. mark — a grade
  3. can — to be able to
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bore — to drill
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. craft — a skill
  8. craft — boats
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. mark — a trace
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. can — a tin
  18. bore — to tire
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. can — a tin
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — to sink

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