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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 120 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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bore — to tire
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. bore — to drill
  5. cell — a phone
  6. suit — to fit
  7. land — ground
  8. cell — in biology
  9. land — to come down
  10. suit — in cards
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. game — wild animals
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. spell — a short time
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. land — a country
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. spell — magic
  20. game — a match
  21. suit — clothes
  22. perch — the fish
  23. spell — letters
  24. saw — 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