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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. swing — music
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. perch — the fish
  5. key — for a lock
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bore — to drill
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. swing — to play on
  11. wound — an injury
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. key — in music
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. deal — to handle
  16. bore — to tire
  17. kick — in football
  18. key — the most important part
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. prune — to trim
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. swing — in golf

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