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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bore — to tire
  6. lean — thin
  7. dip — to sink
  8. bore — to drill
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. bound — tied together
  11. track — a path
  12. lean — to bend
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bound — certain
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. track — to keep track
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. bound — obliged
  21. perch — the fish
  22. track — a song
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pass — to succeed

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