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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 ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  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. bore — gave birth
  2. squash — the sport
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. craft — a skill
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. craft — boats
  8. bore — to drill
  9. band — a music group
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. squash — to crush
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mate — to breed
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mate — a partner
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. band — a ring
  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