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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. cap — of ice
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. cap — a lid
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. band — a ring
  12. ball — a dance
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. ball — a great time
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. band — a music group
  17. board — to get on
  18. cap — a hat
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bore — to drill
  21. board — a committee
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. rush — hurry

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