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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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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 · straw · bore · cell · court · fine · snap · wound

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. fine — high quality
  7. court — for sport
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. cell — in biology
  15. fine — all right
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. court — of law
  20. court — of a king
  21. bore — to tire
  22. snap — to click
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. cell — a phone

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