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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. mug — a face
  6. perch — the fish
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. mug — to rob
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. mug — a cup
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bore — to tire
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — a trail
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bore — to drill

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