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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bore — to drill
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. perch — the fish
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. suit — in cards
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. suit — to fit
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. suit — clothes
  14. spring — of water
  15. season — in sport
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. spring — the season
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. pop — soda
  21. bore — to tire
  22. pop — to visit
  23. season — of the year
  24. season — to add flavour

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