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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
468
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: wind · face · chest · bass · root · shower · bound · bore

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. root — of a plant
  5. bound — certain
  6. shower — rain
  7. chest — a box
  8. bore — to tire
  9. wind — moving air
  10. chest — of your body
  11. root — of a word
  12. face — to point toward
  13. face — to confront
  14. root — the cause
  15. bound — tied together
  16. chest — of your body
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. shower — to wash
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — low music
  24. wind — to turn a key

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