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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. club — for golf
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. wake — a trail
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. board — a committee
  10. perch — the fish
  11. lean — to bend
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. spring — the season
  14. fork — in a road
  15. bore — to drill
  16. club — for dancing
  17. spring — a coil
  18. board — to get on
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bore — to tire
  22. spring — of water
  23. club — a group
  24. fork — a garden tool

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