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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.

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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: bowl · rest · wind · fall · bear · mark · bore · wave

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bore — to drill
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mark — a trace
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. rest — what's left
  15. fall — the season
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. rest — a break
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rest — what's left
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. bowl — a dish

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