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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: fan · ball · land · face · track · bore · trunk · cue

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. track — to keep track
  3. cue — a signal
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. land — to come down
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bore — to drill
  9. land — a country
  10. land — ground
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cue — for pool
  16. ball — a great time
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. ball — a dance
  19. track — a song
  20. bore — to tire
  21. face — to point toward
  22. face — part of the head
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. face — to confront

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