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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: bass · rush · deal · arm · bowl · kid · bore · trunk

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. kid — child
  7. bore — to tire
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. bass — low music
  15. kid — to tease
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. bass — the fish
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. bowl — a football final

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