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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. can — to be able to
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. wind — moving air
  10. hand — in cards
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. can — a tin
  13. hand — help
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. wind — moving air
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. can — a tin
  18. bore — to drill
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bore — to tire
  21. rush — hurry
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a hat
  24. wind — to turn a key

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