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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bore — to drill
  5. fall — the season
  6. saw — the tool
  7. cap — of ice
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. fall — to drop
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. mark — a trace
  16. saw — the tool
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. perch — the fish
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. bore — to tire
  23. cap — a hat
  24. coach — a trainer

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