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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: bass · leaves · bowl · plane · bore · squash · bat · mine

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. squash — the sport
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — low music
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. squash — to crush
  16. plane — a tool
  17. mine — for digging
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. bat — the animal
  24. leaves — lets stay

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