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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. last — to go on
  3. bore — to drill
  4. track — a path
  5. last — finally
  6. track — to keep track
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rest — what's left
  9. perch — the fish
  10. pop — to visit
  11. last — final
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. pop — music
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pop — soda
  20. rest — a break
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. bore — to tire
  23. rest — what's left
  24. track — a song

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