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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. cue — a signal
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. cue — for pool
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. cell — in biology
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. rock — a stone
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. cell — a phone
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. clip — to cut
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. cue — a hint
  19. rock — music
  20. clip — a video
  21. clip — for paper
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. perch — the fish
  24. bore — to tire

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