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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 120 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: root · fall · spring · bulb · face · fan · bowl · trunk

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. spring — of water
  4. face — part of the head
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. spring — a coil
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bulb — for light
  9. face — to confront
  10. root — of a word
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fall — the season
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a plant
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bulb — for light
  22. spring — the season
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. face — to point toward

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