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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.

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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: bore · rest · wake · spring · mate · fall · wave · kick

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. spring — the season
  3. rest — what's left
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. fall — the season
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bore — to tire
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bore — to drill
  13. mate — to breed
  14. rest — what's left
  15. spring — of water
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mate — a friend
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rest — a break
  20. kick — in football
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wake — before a funeral

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