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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 ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bass — low music
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. foot — a measure
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. bass — the fish
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bore — to tire
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. field — farmland
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bore — to drill
  20. field — for sport
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. field — a subject
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. rush — hurry

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