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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: fine · swing · ball · trunk · wake · last · bore · bowl

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. fine — high quality
  3. last — to go on
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. swing — in golf
  7. swing — music
  8. bore — to drill
  9. ball — a dance
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bore — to tire
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. ball — a great time
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. swing — to play on
  20. last — finally
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. wake — a trail
  23. fine — all right
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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