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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to tire
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. suit — clothes
  5. craft — boats
  6. firm — decided
  7. perch — the fish
  8. bore — to drill
  9. tear — from crying
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. squash — the sport
  13. tear — to rip
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. squash — to crush
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. shower — to wash
  19. suit — to fit
  20. suit — in cards
  21. shower — rain
  22. tear — from crying
  23. firm — steady
  24. firm — a company

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