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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.

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: can · wind · bass · wave · bark · club · game · bore

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bark — to shout
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bass — the fish
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. club — a group
  9. club — for golf
  10. can — to be able to
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. bore — to tire
  15. game — a match
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. game — wild animals
  19. club — for dancing
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bass — low music
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bark — of a tree

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