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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 116 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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. sharp — clever
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. swing — in golf
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. mine — for digging
  17. swing — to play on
  18. wound — an injury
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. bore — to drill
  21. pound — a weight
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. swing — music
  24. bore — to tire

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