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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. can — a tin
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. rest — a break
  9. bulb — for light
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. cap — a lid
  13. can — a tin
  14. cap — of ice
  15. sharp — clever
  16. cap — a hat
  17. rest — what's left
  18. can — to be able to
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bulb — for light
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. bowl — to roll

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