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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. tube — the underground
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. bore — to drill
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. deal — to handle
  7. ball — a dance
  8. press — to push
  9. ball — a great time
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. board — to get on
  12. press — newspapers
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. board — a committee
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. press — a publisher
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. bore — to tire
  20. tear — to rip
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. tube — a container
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — from crying

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