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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.

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: season · fine · board · file · bore · racket · wave · spell

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. season — of the year
  3. bore — to drill
  4. file — a tool
  5. file — a document
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — magic
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. season — in sport
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. fine — high quality
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. bore — to tire
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. board — to get on
  23. fine — all right
  24. file — a line of people

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