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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: bore · mine · pop · bound · saw · ball · trunk · kick

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bore — to drill
  5. mine — for digging
  6. bound — certain
  7. pop — soda
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. kick — in football
  11. bound — tied together
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pop — to visit
  14. bore — to tire
  15. saw — the tool
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. bound — obliged
  20. pop — music
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. mine — an explosive

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