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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 116 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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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: mark · cue · bore · bowl · field · wind · face · trunk

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. wind — moving air
  4. cue — for pool
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. face — to confront
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bore — to tire
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. face — to point toward
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. face — part of the head
  15. mark — a grade
  16. field — farmland
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. cue — a hint
  20. bore — to drill
  21. field — a subject
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — of a tree

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