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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 120 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  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. mouse — for a computer
  2. bore — to drill
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. ground — crushed
  6. sharp — clever
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wind — moving air
  10. ground — the earth
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. ground — a position
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — a break
  23. bore — to tire
  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