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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. court — for sport
  5. court — of law
  6. foot — a measure
  7. cap — a hat
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. bore — to tire
  10. cap — of ice
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. saw — the tool
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. bark — to shout
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. court — of a king
  21. saw — the tool
  22. cap — a lid
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. bark — of a tree

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