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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. drill — a practice
  9. face — to confront
  10. bore — to drill
  11. perch — the fish
  12. face — to point toward
  13. drill — army training
  14. face — part of the head
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. march — music
  17. march — the month
  18. bore — to tire
  19. prune — to trim
  20. rush — hurry
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. march — the month
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. drill — the tool

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