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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. perch — the fish
  3. object — a thing
  4. bore — to drill
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. suit — to fit
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. root — the cause
  10. suit — clothes
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — help
  14. suit — in cards
  15. object — to protest
  16. bore — to tire
  17. band — a ring
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. root — of a word
  20. object — an aim
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. root — of a plant
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. lash — an eyelash

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