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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. lie — to recline
  3. wake — a trail
  4. pop — soda
  5. perch — the fish
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a trace
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. pop — music
  10. spring — of water
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. spring — a coil
  14. bore — to tire
  15. pop — to visit
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mark — a grade
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. bore — to drill
  24. perch — for a bird

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