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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. drill — a practice
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bore — to drill
  6. object — a thing
  7. chest — a box
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. object — an aim
  11. drill — the tool
  12. cue — for pool
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. drill — army training
  16. object — to protest
  17. chest — of your body
  18. cue — a hint
  19. bore — to tire
  20. tube — a container
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. wake — a trail
  24. cue — a signal

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