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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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468
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: net · cabinet · leaves · racket · wake · pop · bore · rash

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. bore — to drill
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. wake — a trail
  7. pop — music
  8. rash — a series
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — for catching
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. pop — to visit
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bore — to tire
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pop — soda
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. net — in sport
  24. leaves — lets stay

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