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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 120 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: rest · bore · wound · racket · bound · cue · bat · fall

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bound — tied together
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. bore — to drill
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bore — to tire
  8. cue — for pool
  9. wound — an injury
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bound — obliged
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bat — the animal
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wound — an injury
  19. fall — to drop
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. cue — a hint
  22. bound — certain
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. cue — a signal

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