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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: court · wave · kick · object · bowl · sharp · tear · bore

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. tear — from crying
  3. court — for sport
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. object — a thing
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. court — of law
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. court — of a king
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. object — to protest
  14. bore — to tire
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bore — to drill
  18. tear — to rip
  19. tear — from crying
  20. kick — in football
  21. object — an aim
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. sharp — clever

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