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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chip · bear · perch · drill · wind · bore · object · cap

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. chip — for betting
  4. cap — a hat
  5. bear — the animal
  6. chip — to eat
  7. drill — army training
  8. drill — a practice
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bore — to drill
  11. drill — the tool
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. cap — of ice
  16. object — a thing
  17. cap — a lid
  18. wind — moving air
  19. object — to protest
  20. object — an aim
  21. bore — to tire
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. bear — the animal

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