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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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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. last — finally
  7. snap — to click
  8. suit — in cards
  9. suit — clothes
  10. suit — to fit
  11. perch — the fish
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. last — final
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. bore — to drill
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bore — to tire
  24. last — to go on

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