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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: wave · bore · pop · swing · mouse · fan · cap · bat

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. pop — soda
  3. cap — a lid
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bore — to drill
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. swing — in golf
  12. swing — music
  13. bore — to tire
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. swing — to play on
  17. pop — music
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. pop — to visit
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a hat
  24. bore — gave birth

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