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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. fall — to drop
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. wake — a trail
  9. fall — the season
  10. roll — a cake
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. row — a line
  14. fine — high quality
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. fine — all right
  18. hand — help
  19. row — to paddle
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. roll — a list
  22. bore — to drill
  23. hand — in cards
  24. wake — before a funeral

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