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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. dip — to sink
  5. bear — the animal
  6. field — a subject
  7. mug — a face
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. mug — a cup
  12. bore — to tire
  13. mug — to rob
  14. rule — a law
  15. wake — a trail
  16. rule — government
  17. field — farmland
  18. bore — to drill
  19. perch — the fish
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. field — for sport
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. dip — to dunk

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