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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  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. spell — a short time
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. bore — to drill
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. bore — to tire
  7. stand — to bear
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — a skill
  10. capital — money
  11. cell — a phone
  12. capital — a city
  13. cell — in biology
  14. craft — boats
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. press — newspapers
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. spell — letters
  19. press — to push
  20. press — a publisher
  21. spell — magic
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. perch — the fish
  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