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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
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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: mine · trunk · club · wave · bore · bass · season · cabinet

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. mine — for digging
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. bass — low music
  8. club — a group
  9. season — of the year
  10. bass — the fish
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. club — for golf
  13. bore — to tire
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. season — in sport
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. club — for dancing
  22. bore — to drill
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. mine — belonging to me

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