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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. bat — the animal
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. band — a music group
  5. charge — electricity
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. charge — in control
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. perch — the fish
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bore — to tire
  21. fall — to drop
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. charge — a price

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