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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. fork — in a road
  3. clip — a video
  4. shower — to wash
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bore — to drill
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. capital — money
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. perch — the fish
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bore — to tire
  21. capital — a city
  22. clip — for paper
  23. clip — to cut
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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