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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. mate — a partner
  3. bore — to drill
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. swing — music
  6. swing — in golf
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. spell — letters
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bear — the animal
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — to breed
  13. content — happy
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. spell — a short time
  16. spell — magic
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. content — the amount
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. bear — the animal
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. swing — to play on
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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