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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 116 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: trunk · sharp · bore · bass · snap · pitcher · kid · firm

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — clever
  3. firm — a company
  4. bass — low music
  5. bore — to drill
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. kid — child
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bore — to tire
  13. kid — to tease
  14. firm — steady
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. snap — to click
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. firm — decided
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. sharp — exactly

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