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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. court — for sport
  4. bore — to drill
  5. content — the amount
  6. hand — in cards
  7. content — happy
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. lean — to bend
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. bore — to tire
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. court — of law
  16. court — of a king
  17. lean — thin
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. scale — size or range
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. pit — in a race
  22. scale — in music
  23. pit — a hole
  24. hand — help

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