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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bore — to tire
  4. content — the amount
  5. bore — to drill
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. face — to confront
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. content — happy
  15. bass — the fish
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. face — part of the head
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. trunk — of a car

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