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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. spring — the season
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. net — for catching
  9. bore — to tire
  10. squash — to crush
  11. deal — to handle
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. spring — of water
  14. cap — a hat
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. cap — a lid
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — in sport
  19. cap — of ice
  20. pound — a weight
  21. bore — to drill
  22. spring — a coil
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — the vegetable

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