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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: craft · trunk · spring · plane · swing · face · bulb · capital

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. swing — music
  3. face — to point toward
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. face — part of the head
  6. craft — a skill
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. spring — the season
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. spring — a coil
  12. plane — a tool
  13. bulb — for light
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. swing — to play on
  16. craft — boats
  17. capital — a city
  18. bulb — for light
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. spring — of water
  21. swing — in golf
  22. capital — money
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. plane — in geometry

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