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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 120 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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. saw — the tool
  3. firm — steady
  4. bore — to tire
  5. perch — the fish
  6. mate — to breed
  7. spring — the season
  8. saw — the tool
  9. spring — of water
  10. firm — decided
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bore — to drill
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. mate — a partner
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — help
  17. board — to get on
  18. spring — a coil
  19. board — a committee
  20. firm — a company
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. mate — a friend
  24. perch — for a bird

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