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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 120 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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. spell — a short time
  3. mug — a face
  4. bore — to tire
  5. mug — a cup
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. cold — not warm
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. spell — magic
  12. pitch — completely
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. mug — to rob
  15. spell — letters
  16. rule — government
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. rule — a law
  19. cold — an illness
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bore — to drill

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