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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. bore — to tire
  3. perch — the fish
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bore — to drill
  6. mark — a grade
  7. lean — to bend
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — to trim
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. ball — a dance
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. lean — thin
  20. ball — a great time
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. mark — a trace
  24. lean — to rest against

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