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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. lean — thin
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. pop — to visit
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. deal — to handle
  17. pop — soda
  18. pop — music

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