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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: racket · bore · wound · object · snap · cell · fan · lean

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. wound — an injury
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. object — an aim
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bore — to tire
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. object — a thing
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. bore — to drill
  11. wound — an injury
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. cell — in biology
  16. cell — a phone
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. object — to protest
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. lean — to bend
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. snap — to click
  23. lean — thin
  24. racket — a loud noise

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