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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 120 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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — to drop
  4. degree — temperature
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bulb — for light
  8. fall — the season
  9. degree — an amount
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bore — to tire
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. current — happening now
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — the cause
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bulb — for light
  19. season — in sport
  20. degree — from a university
  21. current — electric
  22. season — of the year
  23. current — of water
  24. root — of a word

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