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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: trunk · bass · bore · craft · cabinet · face · branch · foot

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. branch — a division
  5. face — to confront
  6. face — part of the head
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. bass — the fish
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. craft — boats
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. bore — to drill
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. foot — a measure
  20. bore — to tire
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bass — low music
  23. face — to point toward
  24. branch — of a bank

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