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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.

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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: bore · track · swing · mine · rule · suit · wake · kid

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. swing — in golf
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. kid — child
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. suit — to fit
  8. suit — in cards
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. mine — for digging
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — to play on
  13. rule — a law
  14. wake — a trail
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. track — a path
  17. track — a song
  18. bore — to drill
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. rule — government
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bore — to tire
  23. suit — clothes
  24. wake — before a funeral

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