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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — size or range
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bore — to drill
  7. cold — an illness
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. rest — a break
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. bass — the fish
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. rest — what's left
  16. scale — in music
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. cold — not warm
  21. mine — for digging
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. bass — low music
  24. fan — a supporter

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