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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.

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 · row · straw · deal · ball · wake · pop · bore

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. ball — a dance
  3. row — to paddle
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. pop — music
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. deal — to handle
  11. bore — to tire
  12. pop — to visit
  13. row — a line
  14. pop — soda
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. wake — a trail
  18. bore — to drill
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. ball — a great time
  24. row — a quarrel

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