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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.

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: can · present · rest · wave · bay · nail · bore · hand

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. can — to be able to
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. hand — help
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bore — to tire
  8. rest — a break
  9. hand — in cards
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. present — a gift
  12. bore — to drill
  13. can — a tin
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. present — the time now
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rest — what's left
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. rest — what's left
  21. can — a tin
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. present — there

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