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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. fine — high quality
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bore — to drill
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. fall — to drop
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wound — an injury
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — the season
  11. track — to keep track
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. vault — a safe
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bore — to tire
  17. wound — an injury
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. track — a path
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. perch — the fish
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. fine — all right

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