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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 had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. rest — a break
  3. can — a tin
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. last — final
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bore — to drill
  8. cap — a hat
  9. rest — what's left
  10. cap — of ice
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. degree — temperature
  15. last — finally
  16. degree — from a university
  17. bore — to tire
  18. cap — a lid
  19. row — a line
  20. perch — the fish
  21. last — to go on
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. degree — an amount
  24. row — a quarrel

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