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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: club · bore · last · bass · lean · mark · bowl · safe

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. club — a group
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. lean — thin
  5. club — for golf
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. last — final
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — a grade
  13. club — for dancing
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. last — finally
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. last — to go on
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — the fish
  21. lean — to bend
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. bass — low music

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