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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 · bore · rule · pop · craft · foot · snap · bowl

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. craft — a skill
  7. pop — music
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. snap — to click
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bore — to drill
  13. pop — to visit
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. rule — government
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. rule — a law
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. foot — a measure
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bore — to tire
  24. pop — soda

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