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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
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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: game · bore · patient · wave · wake · bear · saw · suit

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. wake — a trail
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. game — a match
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. suit — clothes
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. bear — the animal
  12. saw — the tool
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — to drill
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. suit — to fit
  18. suit — in cards
  19. bear — the animal
  20. game — wild animals
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wake — before a funeral

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