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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: rush · snap · season · straw · ball · wake · root · bore

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. season — of the year
  4. bore — to tire
  5. ball — a dance
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. ball — a great time
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bore — to drill
  10. snap — to click
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. root — of a plant
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. rush — hurry
  18. season — in sport
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — the cause
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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