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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. ball — a great time
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. fall — to drop
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. content — happy
  14. fall — the season
  15. content — the amount
  16. kid — child
  17. kid — to tease
  18. bore — to drill
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bark — to shout
  21. ball — a dance
  22. bore — to tire
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. bark — of a tree

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