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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. drill — army training
  3. rock — a stone
  4. bore — to drill
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. drill — a practice
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. wake — a trail
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rock — music
  14. tube — the underground
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — a container
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. drill — the tool
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a music group
  24. bore — to tire

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