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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. mug — a face
  3. spell — letters
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. mug — to rob
  6. perch — the fish
  7. spell — magic
  8. mug — a cup
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bulb — for light
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bear — the animal
  14. spell — a short time
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bore — to drill
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bulb — for light
  24. calf — of the leg

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