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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. craft — boats
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. game — a match
  6. bore — to drill
  7. land — to come down
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. land — ground
  10. land — a country
  11. fall — to drop
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. game — wild animals
  14. fall — the season
  15. bore — to tire
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. content — the amount
  21. craft — a skill
  22. fall — to drop
  23. content — happy
  24. bore — gave birth

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