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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. craft — boats
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. hand — help
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. bore — to drill
  7. root — of a plant
  8. hand — in cards
  9. pop — music
  10. bore — to tire
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. craft — a skill
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. vault — a safe
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pop — to visit
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. pop — soda
  21. root — of a word
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. root — the cause

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