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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. last — final
  3. kid — child
  4. bear — the animal
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bore — to drill
  7. kid — to tease
  8. bore — to tire
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. bear — the animal
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. last — to go on
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. last — finally
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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