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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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Word bank
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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: dip · season · bore · saw · perch · squash · face · nail

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bore — to tire
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. saw — the tool
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. dip — to sink
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. season — in sport
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — part of the head
  14. face — to point toward
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. perch — the fish
  18. saw — the tool
  19. squash — to crush
  20. bore — to drill
  21. season — of the year
  22. squash — the sport
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. nail — for a hammer

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