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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. plane — a tool
  3. game — a match
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. bore — to tire
  9. object — to protest
  10. bore — to drill
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — moving air
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. object — a thing
  20. stem — to come from
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. object — an aim
  24. bore — gave birth

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