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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. saw — the tool
  3. deal — to handle
  4. lean — thin
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bore — to drill
  8. lean — to bend
  9. fall — to drop
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. perch — the fish
  14. staff — employees
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. fall — the season
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  24. bore — to tire

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