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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: trunk · racket · sharp · spring · fine · game · face · calf

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. sharp — clever
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. face — part of the head
  9. spring — of water
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. face — to confront
  12. face — to point toward
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. game — a match
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. fine — high quality
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. fine — all right
  23. spring — the season
  24. game — wild animals

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