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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: trunk · press · bear · bore · roll · mine · bowl · safe

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. press — a publisher
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. press — to push
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. mine — for digging
  16. bore — to drill
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. bore — to tire
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. roll — a cake
  23. roll — a list
  24. bear — the animal

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