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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. band — a music group
  4. row — to paddle
  5. plane — a tool
  6. band — a ring
  7. mark — a trace
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. row — a line
  10. bore — to drill
  11. content — happy
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. mark — a grade
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. content — the amount
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. bore — to tire
  22. game — a match
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. game — wild animals

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