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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wave · cabinet · bore · chest · mark · ruler

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. chest — of your body
  4. mark — a trace
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. chest — a box
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bore — to drill
  11. chest — of your body
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. bore — to tire
  16. mark — a grade
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bore — gave birth

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