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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. dip — to sink
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. drill — the tool
  5. lean — thin
  6. drill — a practice
  7. board — to get on
  8. lean — to bend
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. drill — army training
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. root — of a plant
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. board — a committee
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. bore — to drill
  20. perch — the fish
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bore — to tire
  23. root — of a word
  24. root — the cause

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