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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: bore · spell · jam · chest · bulb · wind · straw · racket

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  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. racket — for tennis
  2. spell — a short time
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. wind — moving air
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. chest — a box
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bulb — for light
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. spell — letters
  18. chest — of your body
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. spell — magic
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. chest — of your body
  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