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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 broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. rash — a series
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a trace
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. wake — a trail
  12. mark — a grade
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bore — to drill
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. plane — a tool
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bore — to tire
  24. rash — hasty

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