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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. lean — to bend
  7. capital — a city
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. ball — a dance
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. bore — to tire
  12. capital — money
  13. track — to keep track
  14. bore — to drill
  15. lean — thin
  16. row — to paddle
  17. track — a song
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. track — a path
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. row — a line
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. lean — to rest against

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