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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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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: wave · dip · cap · present · hand · fork · bore · saw

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. present — there
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. saw — the tool
  6. hand — help
  7. present — the time now
  8. saw — the tool
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. cap — a lid
  11. fork — in a road
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — to tire
  15. cap — a hat
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. cap — of ice
  19. dip — to sink
  20. present — a gift
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. hand — in cards
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. wave — with your hand

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