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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: kick · wake · bore · rock · bass · fall · ground · swing

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. rock — a stone
  3. ground — a position
  4. bore — to drill
  5. fall — the season
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — in golf
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bass — low music
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bore — to tire
  12. swing — music
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. kick — in football
  15. rock — music
  16. ground — crushed
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. kick — a thrill

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