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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 116 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 ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. rest — a break
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wound — an injury
  9. rest — what's left
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. vault — a safe
  12. perch — the fish
  13. wound — an injury
  14. saw — the tool
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. bore — to drill
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cell — a phone
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. bore — to tire
  23. rush — hurry
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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