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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. pop — music
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. firm — decided
  7. rock — music
  8. wake — a trail
  9. firm — steady
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. cold — an illness
  12. pop — to visit
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bore — to tire
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. firm — a company
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. cold — not warm
  22. rock — a stone
  23. perch — the fish
  24. pop — soda

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