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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: land · bear · bore · racket · wake · wind · lean · rash

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. lean — thin
  5. bore — to tire
  6. land — to come down
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. land — ground
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bear — the animal
  11. rash — hasty
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. lean — to bend
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. land — a country
  19. bore — to drill
  20. wake — a trail
  21. rash — a series
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. racket — for tennis

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