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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. net — in sport
  3. track — to keep track
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bore — to drill
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. band — a music group
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — after costs
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a hint
  13. track — a path
  14. bore — to tire
  15. track — a song
  16. band — a ring
  17. cue — a signal
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. rash — hasty
  22. roll — a cake
  23. rash — a series
  24. roll — a list

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