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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bore — to drill
  3. file — a line of people
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. march — the month
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. file — a tool
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. file — a document
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bore — to tire
  18. march — the month
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. perch — the fish
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. march — music
  24. bore — gave birth

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