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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.

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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: craft · face · fan · trunk · pitch · object · bore · wake

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. face — part of the head
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bore — to tire
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — to protest
  12. bore — to drill
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. face — to point toward
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. craft — boats
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. craft — a skill
  21. object — an aim
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. bore — gave birth

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