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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. perch — the fish
  3. cold — an illness
  4. firm — steady
  5. firm — a company
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. fall — to drop
  8. prune — to trim
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. fall — the season
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. firm — decided
  14. suit — clothes
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. cold — not warm
  17. prune — to trim
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bore — to tire
  20. fall — to drop
  21. suit — to fit
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. bore — to drill

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