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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 am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. last — to go on
  3. bore — to drill
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kick — in football
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. key — the most important part
  15. chair — a leader
  16. last — finally
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. key — for a lock
  19. last — final
  20. bore — to tire
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. sharp — clever
  23. key — in music
  24. kick — with a leg

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