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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: kid · wound · suit · fall · roll · last · leaves · bore

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. bore — to tire
  3. roll — a cake
  4. kid — child
  5. suit — in cards
  6. roll — a list
  7. last — to go on
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. kid — to tease
  11. suit — clothes
  12. last — final
  13. fall — the season
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. fall — to drop
  19. wound — an injury
  20. suit — to fit
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. wound — an injury
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bore — to drill

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