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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bore — to drill
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. object — an aim
  5. hand — help
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. bore — to tire
  14. object — to protest
  15. sharp — clever
  16. hand — in cards
  17. vault — a safe
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. bat — the animal
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. object — a thing

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