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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. net — for catching
  3. pound — a weight
  4. net — after costs
  5. bore — to drill
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. spell — magic
  10. bore — to tire
  11. pass — a permit
  12. saw — the tool
  13. spell — letters
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. wake — a trail
  20. vault — a safe
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. net — in sport
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. spell — a short time

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