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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 116 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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pit — a hole
  3. club — for golf
  4. bore — to tire
  5. suit — clothes
  6. bore — to drill
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. saw — the tool
  10. suit — in cards
  11. pit — in a race
  12. club — a group
  13. suit — to fit
  14. rest — a break
  15. saw — the tool
  16. perch — the fish
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bound — obliged
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bound — tied together
  21. club — for dancing
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bound — certain

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