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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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468
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: nail · fine · trunk · game · spring · jam · face · racket

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. fine — high quality
  4. spring — a coil
  5. face — to confront
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. game — a match
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. fine — all right
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. game — wild animals
  15. face — part of the head
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. spring — the season
  18. spring — of water
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. nail — on a finger

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