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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: wave · drill · leaves · bore · snap · game · wake · stock

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. stock — goods
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. drill — a practice
  7. snap — to click
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. drill — the tool
  12. game — wild animals
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. game — a match
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. drill — army training
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bore — to tire
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bore — to drill
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. game — a kind of play

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