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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. bore — to tire
  3. present — a gift
  4. mark — a trace
  5. cell — a phone
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. bore — to drill
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. mark — a grade
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. present — there
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. cell — in biology
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. present — the time now

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