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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: fan · bore · craft · face · trunk · spring · cue · bowl

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. face — to confront
  3. craft — boats
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. spring — the season
  7. cue — a hint
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. cue — a signal
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. face — to point toward
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. craft — a skill
  15. spring — of water
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bore — to tire
  18. cue — for pool
  19. face — part of the head
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bore — to drill

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