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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. shower — to wash
  3. object — a thing
  4. pop — soda
  5. object — an aim
  6. pop — music
  7. shower — rain
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bore — to drill
  11. perch — the fish
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. deal — to handle
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. object — to protest
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. pop — to visit
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. kick — in football

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