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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. swing — to play on
  3. bore — to drill
  4. swing — in golf
  5. fork — in a road
  6. bore — to tire
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. press — a publisher
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. press — to push
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. perch — the fish
  13. lie — to recline
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. mate — a friend
  16. swing — music
  17. mate — to breed
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. press — newspapers
  21. tube — a container
  22. mate — a partner
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. tube — the underground

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