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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bore — to drill
  4. pop — to visit
  5. wake — a trail
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. pop — music
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. pop — soda
  15. pitch — completely
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. cold — not warm
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bore — to tire
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. cold — an illness

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