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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 · racket · trunk · spring · face · board · last · rock

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. face — part of the head
  3. board — to get on
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. last — final
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. face — to point toward
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — finally
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. spring — a coil
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. spring — of water
  17. rock — music
  18. spring — the season
  19. board — a committee
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. face — to confront
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. racket — a loud noise

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