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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. rush — hurry
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — size or range
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bore — to tire
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. season — in sport
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. game — a match
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. kid — child
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. kid — to tease
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. season — of the year
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. game — wild animals

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