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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: clip · wave · scale · bore · land · ground

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  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. wave — of the sea
  2. bore — to drill
  3. land — ground
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. bore — to tire
  6. scale — in music
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — a position
  9. clip — for paper
  10. clip — a video
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. ground — crushed
  13. scale — size or range
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. land — a country
  16. clip — to cut
  17. land — to come down
  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