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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bat — the animal
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. staff — employees
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. staff — employees
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bore — to tire
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. staff — a stick
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bore — to drill
  17. last — finally
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. last — to go on
  20. perch — the fish
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. plane — a tool
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. perch — for a bird

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