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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bore — to tire
  4. craft — a skill
  5. tube — the underground
  6. ball — a dance
  7. hand — in cards
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. hand — help
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. tube — a container
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. ball — a great time
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bark — to shout
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. deal — to handle
  20. craft — boats
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. craft — a handicraft

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