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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. charge — a price
  3. drill — a practice
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a lid
  6. bore — to drill
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bore — to tire
  9. wound — an injury
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — to bear
  12. drill — the tool
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. charge — electricity
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. charge — in control
  20. cap — a hat
  21. drill — army training
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. stand — for spectators

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