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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. bore — to tire
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. saw — the tool
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. perch — the fish
  16. scale — in music
  17. wax — to grow
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. dip — to sink
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bore — to drill
  24. wax — in the ear

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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