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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 116 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: rush · craft · spring · face · tube · fan · kick · board

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. board — to get on
  4. rush — hurry
  5. spring — the season
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. kick — in football
  8. face — part of the head
  9. spring — of water
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. board — a committee
  12. face — to point toward
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. craft — a skill
  16. tube — the underground
  17. craft — boats
  18. face — to confront
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. tube — a container
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. craft — a handicraft

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