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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. last — finally
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. pop — soda
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. game — wild animals
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. game — a match
  14. pop — to visit
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. last — final
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. pop — music
  23. bore — to drill
  24. wave — of the sea

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