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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. lie — to recline
  8. object — to protest
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to drill
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. land — a country
  15. object — a thing
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. land — to come down
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. stand — to bear
  20. object — an aim
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bat — the animal
  23. land — ground
  24. stand — for spectators

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