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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. season — of the year
  3. current — happening now
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bulb — for light
  10. hand — in cards
  11. season — in sport
  12. scale — size or range
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. current — of water
  15. current — electric
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bore — to tire
  21. hand — help
  22. scale — in music
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. hand — part of the body

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