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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — in a road
  13. capital — money
  14. capital — a city
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bore — to drill
  19. perch — the fish
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bore — to tire
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bore — gave birth

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