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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: roll · wound · racket · rock · rush · wake · nail · object

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. object — an aim
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. object — to protest
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. rock — a stone
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — an injury
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. object — a thing
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. roll — a list
  18. wake — a trail
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. rock — music
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. rush — to hurry

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