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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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468
Word bank
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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. mate — a partner
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. dip — to sink
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mate — a friend
  7. perch — the fish
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. bass — the fish
  10. wax — to grow
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bass — low music
  18. bore — to drill
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bass — the instrument

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