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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: toast · sharp · saw · face · bass · bore · bark · cabinet

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bore — to drill
  3. face — to point toward
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. face — part of the head
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. bark — to shout
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. toast — bread
  22. bass — low music
  23. face — to confront
  24. bass — the instrument

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