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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bore — to drill
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — magic
  6. pit — in a race
  7. spell — letters
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. last — to go on
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — a stone
  13. last — finally
  14. perch — the fish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. race — a contest
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bore — to tire
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. race — humankind
  23. rock — music
  24. race — the arms race

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