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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. drill — army training
  5. pop — soda
  6. fall — to drop
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. fall — to drop
  9. pop — to visit
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. fall — the season
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bore — to tire
  16. drill — a practice
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. drill — the tool
  19. perch — the fish
  20. stand — to bear
  21. vault — a safe
  22. pop — music
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bore — to drill

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