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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: shower · degree · present · rock · wave · leaves · bore · stick

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — music
  4. present — the time now
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. present — there
  9. degree — temperature
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. shower — to wash
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. bore — to drill
  15. degree — an amount
  16. rock — a stone
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. degree — from a university
  19. bore — to tire
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. present — a gift
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. shower — rain
  24. wave — with your hand

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