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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.

Words on the sheet
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: last · bore · bulb · kick · racket · stem · roll · rock

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. rock — music
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to drill
  5. stem — to come from
  6. rock — a stone
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. bore — to tire
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. last — finally
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. kick — in football
  15. bulb — for light
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — final
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. roll — a list
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. rock — to move gently

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