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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.

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: rush · kid · bat · swing · wake · bore · mate · bass

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. wake — a trail
  3. swing — music
  4. mate — a friend
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. kid — to tease
  9. mate — to breed
  10. bass — low music
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bass — the fish
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. swing — in golf
  18. swing — to play on
  19. mate — a partner
  20. kid — child
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bat — for baseball

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