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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. rock — a stone
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rule — government
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. present — the time now
  8. lean — to bend
  9. land — ground
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. swing — to play on
  12. perch — the fish
  13. rule — a law
  14. rock — music
  15. land — to come down
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. lean — thin
  18. present — there
  19. swing — in golf
  20. land — a country
  21. bore — to tire
  22. swing — music
  23. bore — to drill
  24. present — a gift

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