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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bore — to tire
  4. object — a thing
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bank — for money
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. file — a document
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bank — for money
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. wake — a trail
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. object — an aim
  19. file — a line of people
  20. object — to protest
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. file — a tool
  24. mine — for digging

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