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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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. wake — before a funeral
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. spell — magic
  6. tube — the underground
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bore — to tire
  9. ground — crushed
  10. firm — steady
  11. ground — a position
  12. firm — decided
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. spell — letters
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. present — there
  17. wake — a trail
  18. present — the time now
  19. bore — to drill
  20. present — a gift
  21. tube — a container
  22. spell — a short time
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. firm — a company

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