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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: wake · rock · season · mark · straw · bore · lash · net

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  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. wake — a trail
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. rock — music
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. bore — to tire
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — of the year
  16. net — after costs
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — for catching
  19. mark — a grade
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — to move gently
  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