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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: trunk · bore · board · bay · press · bass · chest · bark

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. chest — of your body
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bore — to drill
  8. press — to push
  9. bass — low music
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. press — newspapers
  15. board — a committee
  16. press — a publisher
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bass — the fish
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. chest — a box

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