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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: wave · cold · scale · leaves · bore · squash · jam · club

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. club — for golf
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. scale — in music
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. scale — size or range
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — to tire
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. cold — not warm
  19. squash — the sport
  20. club — a group
  21. squash — to crush
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. cold — an illness

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