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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: press · tear · wake · bass · fan · trunk · bore · pass

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to drill
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. tear — to rip
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the fish
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. pass — a permit
  16. tear — from crying
  17. press — to push
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. press — newspapers
  21. bore — to tire
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. tear — from crying

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