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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.

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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mug — a face
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. mug — to rob
  7. content — happy
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. chair — a leader
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. content — the amount
  14. mug — a cup
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. bore — to drill
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bore — to tire
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. mine — an explosive

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