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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. roll — a list
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. cold — not warm
  6. rash — a series
  7. fall — to drop
  8. perch — the fish
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. suit — clothes
  11. fall — to drop
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. fall — the season
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. roll — a cake
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bore — to tire
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. cold — an illness
  20. bear — the animal
  21. suit — in cards
  22. bore — to drill
  23. suit — to fit
  24. bear — the animal

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