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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: cap · bore · present · date · craft · capital · face · trunk

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. present — the time now
  3. face — to confront
  4. cap — a hat
  5. present — a gift
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. craft — a skill
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. cap — a lid
  11. capital — money
  12. face — part of the head
  13. craft — boats
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bore — to drill
  18. present — there
  19. capital — a city
  20. cap — of ice
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. date — the fruit

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