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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bore — to tire
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. chest — a box
  11. chest — of your body
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. charge — in control
  14. bass — the fish
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bore — to drill
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. ground — a position
  20. charge — a price
  21. bass — low music
  22. charge — electricity
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. date — the fruit

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