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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. sharp — clever
  3. bore — to tire
  4. season — of the year
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. season — in sport
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. staff — a stick
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. can — to be able to
  11. staff — employees
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. staff — employees
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. root — the cause
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. bore — to drill
  22. root — of a plant
  23. root — of a word
  24. sharp — exactly

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