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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. plane — a tool
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. perch — the fish
  6. rock — music
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bore — to tire
  10. rock — a stone
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. tube — the underground
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bore — to drill
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. tube — a container
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. plane — an aircraft

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