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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. stand — to bear
  3. drill — a practice
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bore — to tire
  6. track — a path
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. roll — a list
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. wake — a trail
  11. drill — the tool
  12. track — to keep track
  13. drill — army training
  14. roll — a cake
  15. branch — a division
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. bore — to drill
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. track — a song

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