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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. chair — a leader
  3. bore — to drill
  4. march — the month
  5. wake — a trail
  6. staff — employees
  7. bulb — for light
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. staff — employees
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. perch — the fish
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. staff — a stick
  15. bore — to tire
  16. lie — to recline
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. march — the month
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. march — music

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