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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 120 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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. bat — the animal
  7. root — of a word
  8. bore — to tire
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. craft — boats
  13. rule — a law
  14. game — a match
  15. bore — to drill
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. root — the cause
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. root — of a plant
  23. rule — government
  24. game — a kind of play

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