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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. can — a tin
  3. bore — to drill
  4. key — the most important part
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. lean — thin
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — to bend
  9. last — to go on
  10. key — in music
  11. can — to be able to
  12. field — a subject
  13. field — farmland
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. last — finally
  17. last — final
  18. can — a tin
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. field — for sport
  21. bore — to tire
  22. key — for a lock
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — the fish

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