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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 116 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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. dip — to sink
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. bore — to drill
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. land — ground
  10. suit — in cards
  11. deal — to handle
  12. land — to come down
  13. row — a line
  14. bore — to tire
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. spell — letters
  18. land — a country
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. row — to paddle
  24. suit — to fit

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