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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. cue — a signal
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — thin
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — the earth
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. cue — a hint
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. bore — to tire
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. squash — to crush
  19. cue — for pool
  20. ground — crushed
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. squash — the sport
  24. bore — to drill

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