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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
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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: pass · rest · bowl · season · trunk · bore · ground · arm

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. pass — a permit
  4. ground — crushed
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. rest — what's left
  9. season — in sport
  10. ground — a position
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bore — to tire
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. rest — what's left
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bore — to drill
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. season — of the year

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