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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. mug — a face
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. drill — a practice
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to tire
  10. mug — to rob
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. drill — the tool
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. shower — rain
  15. perch — the fish
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. shower — to wash
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. bore — to drill
  22. wake — a trail
  23. drill — army training
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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