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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bore — to tire
  3. last — finally
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. cap — a hat
  9. last — to go on
  10. cap — a lid
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bass — the fish
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. deal — to handle
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bass — low music
  18. last — final
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. cap — of ice

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