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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.

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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 · rest · present · bay · bore · pass · temple · prune

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. present — there
  7. pass — a permit
  8. bass — the fish
  9. present — the time now
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bore — to tire
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. present — a gift
  19. prune — to trim
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bass — low music
  24. bore — to drill

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