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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 120 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: bore · bass · nail · season · mouse · object · leaves · wind

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. season — of the year
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. object — to protest
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. season — in sport
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. object — a thing
  12. bass — the fish
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bass — low music
  19. bore — to tire
  20. object — an aim
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — 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