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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. object — a thing
  6. bore — to tire
  7. mine — for digging
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. saw — the tool
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. object — to protest
  12. saw — the tool
  13. march — the month
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. bore — to drill
  16. march — music
  17. deal — to handle
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. perch — the fish
  21. march — the month
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. leaves — lets stay

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