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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 am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. net — in sport
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. perch — the fish
  5. bore — to tire
  6. pop — music
  7. spring — of water
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. net — after costs
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. ball — a great time
  14. pop — soda
  15. spring — a coil
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a dance
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pop — to visit
  20. bore — to drill
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. spring — the season
  23. net — for catching
  24. pass — to spend time

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