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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bore — to drill
  3. season — of the year
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. current — happening now
  9. charge — electricity
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. current — of water
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. charge — in control
  20. charge — a price
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. current — electric
  24. season — in sport

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