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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — the fish
  5. rock — music
  6. date — the fruit
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. board — a committee
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. spring — a coil
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bore — to tire
  16. rock — a stone
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bore — to drill
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. board — to get on
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. spring — of water

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