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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
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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: last · rock · cell · squash · wake · bore · mine · court

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. wake — a trail
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. court — of a king
  5. squash — to crush
  6. cell — in biology
  7. court — for sport
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. last — final
  11. bore — to tire
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. squash — the sport
  14. cell — a phone
  15. rock — a stone
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. court — of law
  18. mine — for digging
  19. last — to go on
  20. rock — music
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. last — finally

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