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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 124 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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. suit — to fit
  4. mark — a trace
  5. drill — a practice
  6. race — the arms race
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. race — a contest
  9. bore — to drill
  10. race — humankind
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. mark — a grade
  13. suit — in cards
  14. perch — the fish
  15. drill — army training
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. suit — clothes
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bore — to tire
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. drill — the tool
  24. pass — a permit

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