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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. prune — to trim
  5. ball — a dance
  6. mine — for digging
  7. hand — help
  8. spell — letters
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. bore — to drill
  12. ball — a great time
  13. spell — magic
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bore — to tire
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. prune — to trim
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. spell — a short time
  24. hand — part of the body

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