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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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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bore — to tire
  8. tube — a container
  9. swing — in golf
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. tube — the underground
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — hurry
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bore — to drill
  20. swing — music
  21. perch — the fish
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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