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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to drill
  3. perch — the fish
  4. board — to get on
  5. race — a contest
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. can — to be able to
  9. drill — a practice
  10. drill — the tool
  11. board — a committee
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. race — the arms race
  15. drill — army training
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. can — a tin
  19. race — humankind
  20. bore — to tire
  21. can — a tin
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. straw — dry grass

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