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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. perch — the fish
  3. object — to protest
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. rest — what's left
  6. drill — army training
  7. wound — an injury
  8. ball — a dance
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — obliged
  14. object — a thing
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bound — certain
  21. wound — an injury
  22. ball — a great time
  23. object — an aim
  24. rest — a break

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