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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.

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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. pit — in a race
  3. rest — what's left
  4. sharp — clever
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. rock — a stone
  8. chest — a box
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bore — to tire
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. row — to paddle
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — music
  20. bore — to drill
  21. row — a line
  22. pit — a hole
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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