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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  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. perch — for a bird
  2. file — a document
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bore — to tire
  5. wind — moving air
  6. club — for golf
  7. fine — high quality
  8. club — for dancing
  9. fine — all right
  10. file — a tool
  11. file — a line of people
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. perch — the fish
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. club — a group
  17. wind — moving air
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. fine — a penalty
  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