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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. firm — steady
  3. rush — hurry
  4. bore — to drill
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bore — to tire
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. firm — decided
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. drill — army training
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. firm — a company
  21. drill — the tool
  22. drill — a practice
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. wake — a trail

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