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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 120 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: snap · bulb · bass · trunk · bore · ball · rule · sharp

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  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. sharp — exactly
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. bulb — for light
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. snap — to click
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bass — low music
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. sharp — clever
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. rule — government
  16. bore — to tire
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bass — the fish
  21. ball — a dance
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rule — a law
  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