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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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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: bore · game · bass · pop · trunk · saw · present · face

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pop — soda
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. game — a match
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bore — to tire
  8. present — a gift
  9. game — wild animals
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bass — low music
  12. present — there
  13. pop — music
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. face — to confront
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bass — the fish
  18. present — the time now
  19. face — to point toward
  20. saw — the tool
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. pop — to visit
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. face — part of the head

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