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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. land — ground
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. swing — music
  6. swing — in golf
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. bear — the animal
  10. swing — to play on
  11. land — a country
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. shower — rain
  16. bore — to drill
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — to crush
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. shower — to wash
  21. land — to come down
  22. bear — the animal
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. bowl — a dish

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