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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  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. bat — for baseball
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. court — of a king
  6. court — for sport
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. can — a tin
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. can — a tin
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. court — of law
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bore — to drill
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. can — to be able to
  23. sharp — clever
  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