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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. game — wild animals
  3. bear — the animal
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. bore — to drill
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. ball — a dance
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bass — the fish
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bear — the animal
  16. perch — the fish
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. bass — low music
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. snap — to click
  22. game — a match
  23. tube — a container
  24. perch — for a bird

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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