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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. drill — the tool
  7. suit — in cards
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bore — to tire
  10. drill — a practice
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. suit — clothes
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bore — to drill
  15. wake — a trail
  16. saw — the tool
  17. suit — to fit
  18. drill — army training
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. stand — to bear

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