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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. bore — to drill
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bore — to tire
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. craft — boats
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. perch — the fish
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bulb — for light
  21. craft — a skill
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. mine — for digging
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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