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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. kid — child
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. stock — goods
  6. pit — a hole
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bore — to tire
  9. kid — to tease
  10. stock — shares
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bore — to drill
  13. dip — to sink
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — to grow
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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