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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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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. kick — in football
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. present — a gift
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. club — for golf
  10. degree — from a university
  11. bore — to drill
  12. degree — an amount
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. present — the time now
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. degree — temperature
  20. club — for dancing
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. club — a group
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. present — there

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