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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: squash · pop · bore · snap · trunk · fall · bass · calf

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  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. fall — to drop
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bass — low music
  4. squash — the sport
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bore — to tire
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pop — music
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. snap — to click
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. fall — the season
  18. fall — to drop
  19. pop — to visit
  20. squash — to crush
  21. pop — soda
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  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