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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bulb — for light
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. content — happy
  10. court — for sport
  11. content — the amount
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — to drill
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bulb — for light
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rest — a break
  21. court — of law
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. court — of a king
  24. rest — what's left

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