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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pound — a weight
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. mark — a trace
  7. face — to confront
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. band — a music group
  13. perch — the fish
  14. face — to point toward
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. face — part of the head
  19. wake — a trail
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. band — a ring
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bore — to drill
  24. mark — a grade

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