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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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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: leaves · bore · ground · face · club · bass · deal · wake

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. bore — to drill
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. club — a group
  10. ground — crushed
  11. bass — low music
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. ground — the earth
  14. deal — to handle
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. ground — a position
  20. face — part of the head
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. club — for dancing
  23. club — for golf
  24. face — to confront

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