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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. squash — to crush
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. file — a document
  13. cold — not warm
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. current — happening now
  16. bore — to tire
  17. current — electric
  18. current — of water
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. squash — the sport
  21. file — a line of people
  22. file — a tool
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. cold — an illness

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