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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  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 tire
  2. deal — to handle
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. toast — bread
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. wake — a trail
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bulb — for light
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. mine — for digging
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bore — to drill
  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