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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
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: rash · fan · plane · coach · trunk · bear · wind · bore

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bore — to tire
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. rash — a series
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. rash — hasty
  23. wind — moving air
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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