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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 120 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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. spring — of water
  4. bore — to drill
  5. mark — a grade
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a trace
  9. drill — army training
  10. bore — to tire
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. press — to push
  14. game — a match
  15. press — a publisher
  16. wax — to grow
  17. game — wild animals
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. spring — a coil
  21. press — newspapers
  22. drill — the tool
  23. spring — the season
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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