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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. ground — a position
  3. bore — to tire
  4. shower — to wash
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. perch — the fish
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. ground — crushed
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. ground — the earth
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. rock — a stone
  16. bore — to drill
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. shower — rain
  19. game — wild animals
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pass — a permit
  22. game — a match
  23. rock — music
  24. perch — for a bird

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