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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. bore — to drill
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. swing — music
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bat — the animal
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. wound — an injury
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. perch — the fish
  20. bore — to tire
  21. swing — in golf
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wound — an injury
  24. perch — for a bird

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