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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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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: bass · fall · content · rock · snap · bore

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — a stone
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bore — to drill
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. fall — the season
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bass — the fish
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. content — the amount
  16. bass — low music
  17. content — happy
  18. snap — to click

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