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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.

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: bore · hand · mug · deal · scale · wave · court · tear

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. scale — size or range
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. mug — to rob
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. court — for sport
  8. court — of a king
  9. scale — in music
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. hand — help
  17. court — of law
  18. mug — a face
  19. mug — a cup
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bore — to drill
  22. tear — from crying
  23. hand — in cards
  24. deal — to handle

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