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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. suit — clothes
  3. net — for catching
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — a series
  6. suit — to fit
  7. net — in sport
  8. bore — to drill
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. net — after costs
  13. wake — a trail
  14. tear — from crying
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bore — to tire
  17. rash — hasty
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. suit — in cards
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. tear — to rip
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. tear — from crying
  24. wake — before a funeral

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