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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: bore · shower · march · bulb · fine · content · game · wave

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. bore — to drill
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — to wash
  5. bulb — for light
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. game — a match
  8. march — music
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. content — happy
  12. bulb — for light
  13. march — the month
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. fine — high quality
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. march — the month
  18. bore — to tire
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. fine — all right
  21. content — the amount
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. game — wild animals
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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