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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. content — the amount
  6. club — for golf
  7. bore — to tire
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. tear — from crying
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. content — happy
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. band — a ring
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. bore — to drill
  18. club — for dancing
  19. club — a group
  20. band — a music group
  21. tear — from crying
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. tear — to rip
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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