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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: ball · bore · fall · face · mug · nail · wave · current

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. bore — to tire
  4. mug — a cup
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — part of the head
  8. current — electric
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. face — to point toward
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. fall — the season
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. current — of water
  17. ball — a great time
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. ball — a dance
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — to drop
  22. mug — to rob
  23. current — happening now
  24. bore — to drill

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