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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mark · bore · trunk · rest · fan · cue · mine · bowl

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mine — for digging
  9. bore — to drill
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bore — to tire
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. cue — a hint
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. cue — for pool
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. mark — a trace
  24. fan — to cool the air

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