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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. track — a song
  4. bore — to drill
  5. wind — moving air
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bore — to tire
  10. rock — a stone
  11. track — a path
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a grade
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a great time
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wind — moving air
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. track — to keep track
  22. mark — a trace
  23. wake — a trail
  24. bore — gave birth

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