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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: scale · wound · firm · wave · mug · can · bore · game

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. firm — a company
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. firm — decided
  6. scale — in music
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — a cup
  9. firm — steady
  10. can — a tin
  11. scale — size or range
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — an injury
  15. can — a tin
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. game — wild animals
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bore — to drill
  20. mug — to rob
  21. can — to be able to
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. game — a match

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