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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. craft — boats
  3. drill — army training
  4. rest — what's left
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. snap — to click
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. rest — a break
  13. drill — the tool
  14. foot — a measure
  15. bore — to tire
  16. rest — what's left
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. fork — in a road
  22. craft — a skill
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. bore — to drill

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