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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.

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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: wave · saw · drill · wind · court · pass · wake · bore

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  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. pass — a permit
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. court — for sport
  8. court — of law
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wind — moving air
  12. court — of a king
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bore — to tire
  17. saw — the tool
  18. drill — the tool
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. saw — the tool
  21. drill — a practice
  22. wind — moving air
  23. drill — army training
  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