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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. mate — a partner
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — a short time
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bore — to tire
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. mate — to breed
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. mate — a friend
  14. firm — decided
  15. bore — to drill
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. firm — steady
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wake — a trail
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. spell — letters
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. racket — for tennis

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