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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 · rash · spring · rock · cell · bore · net · trunk

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — in sport
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. rock — a stone
  6. cell — in biology
  7. spring — of water
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rash — a series
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. rash — hasty
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bore — to tire
  14. rock — music
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. cell — a phone
  21. net — after costs
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. spring — the season
  24. spring — a coil

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