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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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Word bank
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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. present — the time now
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. kid — child
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. ball — a dance
  9. fall — the season
  10. fall — to drop
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. ball — a great time
  15. bore — to drill
  16. present — there
  17. bore — to tire
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. present — a gift
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. fall — to drop

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