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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 116 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 · kick · wound · club · bore · ball · nail · file

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. bore — to drill
  3. file — a line of people
  4. club — a group
  5. ball — a dance
  6. club — for golf
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. kick — in football
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. file — a tool
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. club — for dancing
  14. bore — to tire
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. ball — a great time
  23. wound — an injury
  24. file — a document

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