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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 116 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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. wake — a trail
  4. bore — to tire
  5. fork — in a road
  6. plane — a tool
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bore — to drill
  10. can — a tin
  11. rash — a series
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. fall — the season
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. can — a tin
  21. fall — to drop
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. fall — to drop
  24. leaves — to go away

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