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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. chest — a box
  3. bore — to drill
  4. key — in music
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. perch — the fish
  7. rush — hurry
  8. chest — of your body
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. key — the most important part
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. mug — a face
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bore — to tire
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mug — a cup
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — clever
  20. saw — the tool
  21. key — for a lock
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. saw — the 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