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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 have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. can — a tin
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. last — to go on
  5. spell — magic
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bore — to tire
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. spell — a short time
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. can — a tin
  13. spell — letters
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. can — to be able to
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. perch — the fish
  18. bore — to drill
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stem — to come from
  21. last — finally
  22. last — final
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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