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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: club · ball · bore · wave · court · file · staff · lie

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. lie — to recline
  3. file — a line of people
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a great time
  7. file — a tool
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. staff — employees
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. club — for dancing
  12. staff — a stick
  13. ball — a dance
  14. court — of a king
  15. club — for golf
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. staff — employees
  18. bore — to drill
  19. file — a document
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. court — for sport
  23. club — a group
  24. court — of law

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