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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. mate — to breed
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. mate — a friend
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. clip — to cut
  11. mate — a partner
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. clip — a video
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. clip — for paper
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. wave — of the sea

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