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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. game — a match
  3. drill — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. game — wild animals
  6. perch — the fish
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. drill — army training
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. object — an aim
  12. drill — a practice
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. object — a thing
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. object — to protest
  20. bulb — for light
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bulb — for light
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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