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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. perch — the fish
  7. rest — a break
  8. rock — a stone
  9. spring — a coil
  10. rock — music
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. spring — the season
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. rest — what's left
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. bore — to tire
  20. spring — of water
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. wound — an injury
  24. rest — what's left

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