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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: drill · cabinet · racket · bore · last · track · bass · snap

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. track — a path
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. snap — to click
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. bass — the fish
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. last — final
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. last — to go on
  12. bass — low music
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. last — finally
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. drill — army training
  19. track — a song
  20. drill — a practice
  21. drill — the tool
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — gave birth

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