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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 120 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 · squash · face · bat · can · stem · wave · sharp

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  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. bore — to drill
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. squash — to crush
  6. face — part of the head
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. bore — to tire
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. squash — the sport
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. sharp — clever
  15. can — a tin
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. stem — to come from
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. face — to confront
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. wave — of the sea
  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