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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 · staff · pass · pop · bowl · bore · tear · last

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. pass — a permit
  6. tear — to rip
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. staff — a stick
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. pop — to visit
  13. last — finally
  14. pop — music
  15. last — to go on
  16. tear — from crying
  17. pop — soda
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — employees
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. last — final
  24. wave — with your hand

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