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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bore — to drill
  3. spell — letters
  4. perch — the fish
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. spell — a short time
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. kid — to tease
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. deal — to handle
  15. bore — to tire
  16. plane — a tool
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. kid — child

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