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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bore — to drill
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. game — a match
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. perch — the fish
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mark — a grade
  21. game — wild animals
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. trunk — of a car

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