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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bore — to drill
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bore — to tire
  6. charge — in control
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bass — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. perch — the fish
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. charge — electricity
  19. dip — to sink
  20. lean — to bend
  21. charge — a price
  22. bass — low music
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — thin

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