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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 116 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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. plane — a tool
  3. scale — in music
  4. bore — to drill
  5. board — a committee
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bore — to tire
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — from crying
  11. current — of water
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. current — happening now
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. current — electric
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. board — to get on
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. tear — to rip
  23. scale — size or range
  24. perch — the fish

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