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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 120 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: ball · lean · bear · bore · chair · wake · sharp · trunk

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. bore — to tire
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. chair — a leader
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. sharp — clever
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. lean — thin
  18. lean — to bend
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. ball — a great time
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. ball — a dance
  24. trunk — of a tree

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