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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. saw — the tool
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. track — a song
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. saw — the tool
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. rest — a break
  14. chair — a leader
  15. track — a path
  16. rock — music
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. wake — a trail
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bore — to tire
  23. kick — in football
  24. bore — to drill

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