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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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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: bore · ruler · ground · stick · rest · wake · wind · mate

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. wind — moving air
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mate — a partner
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bore — to tire
  10. ground — the earth
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. wind — moving air
  13. rest — what's left
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. mate — to breed
  18. wake — a trail
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bore — to drill
  23. rest — a break
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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