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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 116 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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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: rest · cell · race · trunk · bass · present · bore · cabinet

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. race — humankind
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. cell — a phone
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. race — a contest
  9. present — a gift
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cell — in biology
  12. bass — low music
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bore — to tire
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — what's left
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. race — the arms race
  19. present — the time now
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. rest — a break
  22. present — there
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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