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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — a group
  5. wake — a trail
  6. track — a path
  7. snap — to click
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. track — to keep track
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. track — a song
  14. game — wild animals
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. drill — a practice
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bore — to drill
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. game — a match
  23. drill — army training
  24. club — for dancing

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