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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. date — the fruit
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. content — the amount
  6. content — happy
  7. staff — employees
  8. clip — for paper
  9. clip — a video
  10. staff — a stick
  11. track — to keep track
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. staff — employees
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. clip — to cut
  19. track — a song
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. bore — to tire
  23. track — a path
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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