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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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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. bass — the fish
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. rash — a series
  7. saw — the tool
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bore — to tire
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. spring — of water
  14. deal — to handle
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. saw — the tool
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. bass — low music
  19. spring — the season
  20. bore — to drill
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — hasty
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. spring — a coil

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