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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. perch — the fish
  3. drill — a practice
  4. swing — to play on
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bore — to tire
  7. staff — employees
  8. club — for dancing
  9. club — a group
  10. march — the month
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. swing — in golf
  14. swing — music
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. march — music
  18. staff — employees
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. club — for golf
  21. drill — the tool
  22. march — the month
  23. staff — a stick
  24. bore — to drill

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