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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — a stick
  3. bore — to drill
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bulb — for light
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. wind — moving air
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. rest — what's left
  18. staff — employees
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. chip — to eat
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bore — to tire
  23. rest — a break
  24. wind — moving air

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