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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: bank · trunk · hide · field · shower · bass · rest · bore

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. field — a subject
  4. bass — low music
  5. bass — the fish
  6. field — for sport
  7. bank — for money
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — what's left
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. shower — to wash
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bank — of a river
  16. shower — rain
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. rest — a break
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. field — farmland
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bank — for money

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