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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. club — for golf
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bore — to tire
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bound — tied together
  10. club — for dancing
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. club — a group
  13. bound — obliged
  14. tube — the underground
  15. deal — to handle
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. tube — a container
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bound — certain
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. perch — the fish
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. perch — for a bird

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