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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: hand · jam · wave · game · bore · root · perch · rush

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. root — of a plant
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. hand — in cards
  10. game — a match
  11. game — wild animals
  12. rush — hurry
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. perch — the fish
  16. hand — help
  17. root — the cause
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bore — to drill
  23. root — of a word
  24. hand — part of the body

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