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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — the fish
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bear — the animal
  7. spell — a short time
  8. mark — a trace
  9. spell — magic
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. mark — a grade
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bore — to drill
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. spell — letters

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