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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 124 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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bore — to drill
  3. staff — employees
  4. march — the month
  5. capital — a city
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. perch — the fish
  8. staff — a stick
  9. capital — money
  10. lean — to bend
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. staff — employees
  13. fall — the season
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. fall — to drop
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. lean — thin
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. bore — to tire
  23. march — music
  24. fall — to drop

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