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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 · race · trunk · bound · bass · rest · bank · jam

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. bass — low music
  4. bank — for money
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. rest — what's left
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. bank — for money
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bound — certain
  14. bass — the fish
  15. race — the arms race
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. rest — a break
  18. race — a contest
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bound — obliged
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bore — to drill

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