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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. can — to be able to
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. can — a tin
  9. bore — to tire
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. spell — magic
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. perch — the fish
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. mark — a trace
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. spell — letters
  20. bore — to drill
  21. spell — a short time
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. can — a tin
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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