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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. bore — to tire
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. ball — a dance
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. ball — a great time
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. foot — a measure
  14. bat — the animal
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. bore — to drill
  17. prune — to trim
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. hide — to keep secret

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