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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: temple · saw · lean · bank · bass · bore · season · wound

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bank — for money
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — the fish
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. lean — to bend
  9. bore — to tire
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. saw — the tool
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. season — in sport
  17. season — of the year
  18. bank — for money
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bank — of a river
  22. lean — thin
  23. wound — an injury
  24. temple — side 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