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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: bore · scale · trunk · ground · face · spring · stand · date

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. face — part of the head
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. spring — a coil
  6. spring — the season
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bore — to drill
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. scale — in music
  15. bore — to tire
  16. face — to point toward
  17. ground — a position
  18. face — to confront
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — the fruit
  21. spring — of water
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. scale — size or range
  24. ground — crushed

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